The beautiful and talented Karisma Kapoor has played diverse characters in her illustrious career. But in her upcoming web series, Brown, she’s expected to surprise audiences with her characterization, performance and de-glam look. Directed by Abhinay Deo and backed by Zee Studios, Brown has been in the news after it emerged as the only Indian show to be part of Berlin Market Selects 2023, which was held during the 73rd annual Berlin International Film Festival. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Karisma Kapoor spoke about this honour, her role in Brown and a lot more.
The first thing that struck me while watching Brown is that we have only seen male actors playing the role of alcoholic cops who are being haunted by a dark past while trying to solve a case. But in this web series, we saw a female lead playing such a role and that too, an actor like you taking the plunge. Was it a refreshing experience for you?
Yes, absolutely. ‘Refreshing’ is a nice word to use here! Also, it was something so different. I have been lucky in my career. I have done a variety of roles whether it be intense, biopic etc. Brown, however, stood out as the character was so real and raw. For me, it was a wonderful challenge to play Rita Brown and that’s what an actor looks for today - to keep growing. In that sense, Brown was just perfect for me.
How easy or difficult was it for you to say yes to the role? After all, Rita Brown comes from a different world – she is a cop, based in Kolkata and moreover, she is Catholic…
I don’t want to reveal too much but in the show, I am doing certain things which I don’t do in real life. It was not normal for me (laughs)! I did ask myself, ‘Oh my God! Can I do this?’, ‘Should I do it?’ So yes, there was a little bit of contemplation. But the role was so powerful and so amazing that I could not say no. I am so glad that I played Rita Brown. A lot of work went into making her come to life. I lived with the character for a few months – doing workshops, learning Bengali, getting the Anglo-Indian aspect of the character right etc. I had to learn from scratch. Of course, every project has a lot of hard work that goes into it. However, a lot of detailing went into Brown, at every level, from the scripting to the characters to the locations. The location is also a character in the film.
What does the selection at Berlinale mean to you?
It’s huge to go to Berlinale and be the only Indian web series in the Berlin Market Selects. We are extremely humbled and so excited that our work has been noticed. In that sense, it was very special for us and a great form of encouragement that we are doing the right thing. The intense hard work is paying off (smiles)!
Two screenings have already taken place of Brown at Berlin…
Indeed, and from what we have been hearing, the reactions have been wonderful. It’s a great form of encouragement for the entire team.
Was it difficult to shoot in the summers of Kolkata?
(Laughs) Yes, we were soaked! That’s the word. But honestly, we took it in a positive way. Abhinay ji would tell me, ‘Let’s make it a part of the character. Like she’s talking but she could feel the sweat trickle down through her shirt’! Hence, I would say that the heat enhanced my performance.
It did and also, it has been shot in real locations of Kolkata, not in a studio…
Absolutely. Every single location in the show is real. It was interesting as there was so much history and culture that we got to learn about while filming at these spots. It added to the show.
It is often said that shooting for a web show is akin to shooting for 3-4 films. In that regard, how was the experience of living as a character for so many days?
It was wonderful. In the 90s and 2000s, when actresses had substantial and meaty roles, it would take a lot of days to shoot even then. So shooting for a web series is equivalent to a film being shot during that time. But of course, there was a lot more hard work in Brown than it was when we were doing a film in the past. This is because we shot multiple scenes from different episodes in a day. You need to know exactly what is happening before or after, and also what was the end of the episode before this etc.
In an interview with Mid-Day, you recently said that every actress before you had rejected Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) as they didn’t want to dance with Madhuri Dixit. Surprisingly, viewers have always seen Nisha as a powerful role and who would refuse such a special part…
It was ahead of its time if you think about it. It was another real character as she gets upset with what she was going through. It was a different kind of emotion which was not portrayed on the screen at that time. Apart from the dance angle, Nisha was very human, who would think ‘Mere saath aisa kyun ho raha hai?’. This is how a human being feels from time to time. I actually mentioned Dil To Pagal Hai to state that I have never planned anything in my career or my life. I have gone with my gut instinct and my heart. Even during Dil To Pagal Hai, my only thought was ‘Chalo karte hai, I want to do it’. Similarly, with Brown, in my heart, I felt that I must do it.
Dil To Pagal Hai completed 25 years in October. At that time, Bollywood Hungama exclusively spoke to costume designer Manish Malhotra and he spoke about how the film had a deep impact in terms of fashion. To quote Manish Malhotra, “We saw so many girls wearing DKNY sportswear everywhere in Mumbai”…
(Laughs) Yes, it became kind of famous. The inspiration to become the fit, sporty girl started somewhere with Dil To Pagal Hai!
What next?
I have never planned anything. I have a project in the pipeline, which I can’t talk about right now. As I said, I have gone by my heart and not my head! Today, I want to do interesting things. Whatever touches me, I’ll opt for that project.
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