Karishma Tanna said there is a feeling of pleasure in playing the main part in “Scoop,” the Hansal Mehta-directed series that would see her evolve into a multifaceted character of a journalist, after more than two decades of being “stereotyped as a TV actor.”
Tanna said that she was filled with emotion the minute she learned she had been cast as Jagruti Pathak, a prominent crime reporter at a Mumbai newspaper who makes headlines after being charged with the murder of her competitor.
“I couldn't believe I won this since coming from a TV background, I've had to fight to succeed in my life. To acquire this position, Hansal sir must have thought highly enough of my audition. I felt proud that I was bearing the weight of the whole performance on my shoulders. There was a feeling of accountability, 39-year-old Tanna told PTI in an interview.
Tanna's first project as a protagonist is “Scoop” on Netflix India. She made her acting debut in the well-known soap opera “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,” where she portrayed the bubbly Indu, a member of the Virani family from the second generation. Her other credits include “Naagin 3,” “Sanju,” directed by Rajkumar Hirani, and “Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 10,” on which she won.
“In all the years of my profession, I've never played a character with such depth. It was a difficult position for me since I don't have much experience in journalism. I anticipated learning a lot over the whole process. I was shocked when I got the job, she said.
She emphasised the prejudice towards persons who work in the television industry by saying, “An actor is an actor.”
She questioned, “The struggle for TV actors to get into OTT or films is a big thing, but why?”
“When a TV actor falls into a cliché, it is sad… Any role you give an actor to play, they may shape into. Actors in films develop their roles as well. This actor is working so hard, I often hear.
“I believe that if you give a TV actor the same job, they will work just as hard because they would have the same type of platform. As a result, every performer works hard. The actor from Mumbai said, “It's simply about the possibilities we receive, which are sort of minimal.
The biographical book “Behind the Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison” by former journalist Jigna Vora served as the basis for the Netflix original series “Scoop,” which will debut on June 2. Mehta and “Thappad” screenwriter Mrunmayee Lagoo Waikul collaborated on the creation of the series.
Tanna gained knowledge through working on the programme, and after getting the screenplay from Mehta—known for “Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story” and films like “Shahid” and “Aligarh”—she did further study to be ready for the part.
“As soon as I read the screenplay, the character's identity was very evident. She has ambitions and a desire to make the main page when she works as a journalist. She struggles to balance her professional and personal lives when she is a mother.
You learn from this programme that life has its ups and downs, too. You may work hard, be a single mother, and have dreams along the process. But life is also full of surprises; anything may happen at any moment, she said.
Tanna gets to play an etched-out character in the show who is the opposite of the conventional Indian woman in a patriarchal society: her Jagruti Pathak is a determined crime beat reporter who is a single mom, divorcee, and likes smoking and drinking at parties.
The performer remarked of her persona: “I thought that the character is really powerful. Even when I'm not there, Jagruti Pathak is the topic of talk. I had the opportunity to portray a character with multiple facets. It's challenging, but I'm happy and satisfied that I was able to display that kind of acting,” she remarked.
Tanna said that she still has trouble defining what it means to be “a strong woman”.
“I've been dealing with this for a very long time. I'm a person of strong character. People seem uncomfortable talking to me, as I have seen. I'm still trying to understand what danger there is when someone is described as a powerful lady. She has views, much as she is brilliant. She said, “I don't see why people feel frightened.
Waikul and Mirat Trivedi wrote the “Scoop” tale, which is characterised as a human drama.
Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, Harman Baweja, Prosenjit Chatterjee, and Tannishtha Chatterjee are also featured in the series. Matchbox Shots, Sarita Patil, and Diksha Jyote Routray are the producers.