Emerging actor Geetika Vidya Ohlyan, known for her powerful performances in films like Soni, Thappad and Unpaused among other films, is currently been seen in the intriguing mystery thriller School of Lies alongside such talented actors as Nimrat Kaur and Aamir Bashir, that’s streaming on Disney + Hotstar since June 2.
She plays Trisha in this’s much-appreciated series and Trisha’s body language, socio-economic class and personality type have been a refreshing change for Geetika to reprise on screen. She tells us more about the same.
Tell us about your preparations for Trisha Pandey.
Trisha Pandey is an ambitious and courageous girl hailing from a middle-class family in Ranchi. Becoming a single mother to Shakti at the early age of 19 Trisha chooses to take responsibility for her choices and takes the very first opportunity to move cities. She excels in her workspace in Gurgaon but her life and sense of self get shaken when Shakti goes missing from his boarding school. I prepared by reading and re-reading the script, specifically Trisha’s parts, engaging in long conversations with co-director Ishani, and discovering Trisha in the costume and looks chosen by Tanya and Shashank.
I took very good care of what I fed myself with to allow the character of Trisha to flow through me as an instrument.
Have web platforms changed the game for new-age actors like you?
Soni, a movie with me as its poster face was available in 180 countries across the globe for the past three years on Netflix. Web platforms allow creators to choose actors for their ability to address the part without the pressure of their box office potential. This in turn allows storytellers the courage to discover and collaborate with actors like us who do not have a million fans or family roots in the industry but have an inner world enriched with experience, literature and theatre.
What motivates you?
The catharsis that stories give to human beings trapped in the drudgery of daily life is what motivates me to take as good care of myself as possible. To become an instrument of catharsis, to be able to give life to the vision of storytellers and the joy and recognition my family gets out of what I do, constantly motivates me for now.
You fashion choices?
Fashion for me is comfort and covering the body with elan! I was raised by my mother to get the prettiest clothes stitched for me replete with
hand-embroidered patterns. I absolutely love wearing flowy pyjamas and kurtas in rich colours and art that tell stories from different ethnicities.
Your daily fitness and food regimens?
Plant-based food keeps me joyous and energetic so I feel naturally inclined to fruits and vegetables. Since I grew up in a house with happy buffaloes and cows, fresh curd and buttermilk give me unparalleled comfort.
For physical and mental fitness, I try to incorporate yamas, niyamas, asanas, pranayamas, pratyahara, dharana and dhyaan in my fitness routine. Taapsee Pannu was generous enough to get me access to Sujeet Laxman Kargutkar who help me balance Yogic and gym equipment training.
Upcoming projects?
I am looking forward to my upcoming feature film releases Tera Kya Hoga Lovely, a hilarious crime comedy where I play a friend to the male protagonist and it’s directed by Balwinder Janjua and co-starring stars Randeep Hooda and Ileana D’Cruz. There’s also Dilli Dark, a dark comedy where I play the female lead. It is about an African man’s life in Delhi with Samuel Abiola Robinson playing the lead. It’s directed by Dibakar Das Roy. There’s also an anthology film Opium that features 5 stories on socio-cultural shades of contemporary India directed by Aman Sachdeva.