The excitement in actor Smriti Kalra’s voice is clearly palpable. After all, her much-awaited debut in comedy-drama Cash, currently playing on Disney+ Hotstar, has drawn some very positive responses. This is also comedian Rishab Seth’s directorial debut and is loosely based on demonetisation. Kalra talks about playing Neha in Cash and her desire to do a typical dreamy romantic act. Excerpts:
Tell us about your character in Cash:
It is a character that I have never played earlier and has no similarity with me at all. She is sassy, street smart, absolutely sorted and won’t bat an eyelid before double-crossing even her closest of pals. In colloquial terms, she is a jugadu (streetsmart). I enjoyed playing her. Also, though this is a comedy-drama, her character is dry and flat and for me, the challenge lay there. So, while everyone is in splits on the set in some sequences, she is standing with a poker face, completely unaffected throughout.
Were you able to relate to Neha?
I am just the opposite of her. I am an extremely shy person and will hesitate to ask for help from even my close ones. While she uses her contacts to her advantage quite easily, I wish I had that talent.
What’s different about Cash?
The film is fun and fresh. It’s not a senseless or adult comedy. It has demonetisation as its backdrop and narrates things from a humorous point of view. How was it working with Rishab? Rishab co-wrote the script with Arsh Vohra and he is a funny man in real life as well. However, when he is directing, he is dead serious about his craft and knows how to make the most out of his actors.
What kind of roles are you looking for?
I have completed my second film, which is a psychological romantic thriller. In the future, I would love to do an action film, because I am quite sporty, and would also want to do something more serious like a split personality character. Most importantly, I fancy doing a typical Bollywood dreamy romantic scene shot with my hair and dupatta blowing in the wind and the hero completely lost within in my eyes.
What is your skin and hair care regimen?
I am a low maintenance girl. For my face, I use a simple cream and facewash and for my hair, a good oil massage and a leave-in conditioner helps calm my curls.
Streaming on Disney+ Hotstar