Aim is to leave behind a legacy of good body of work, says Sushmita Sen

Mumbai, November 3

Box office success was once a barometer of accomplishment for Sushmita Sen but the ‘Aarya’ star says she is now more focused on building a body of quality work.

The actor, who gained popularity for her roles in films like ‘Biwi No.1’, ‘Filhaal’, ‘Aankhen’, and ‘Main Hoon Na’ among others, returned to mainstream acting after a break of five years with the 2020 release of Disney+ Hotstar series, ‘Aarya’.

“When I joined the film industry, my dreams were all about hits and how many thousands of crores one can make in terms of reach when a film is hit. Now, it’s about the legacy of leaving behind a body of work that people and I can look back because cinema lives on longer than YouTube and lives on forever. So, when they look back at it, they should say I was a good actor,” Sen told in an interview.

In her second acting stint, Sen has featured in ‘Taali’ and ‘Aarya’, whose third season would be released on Friday on Disney+ Hotstar.

Sen, 47, said she is eager to do movies on the big screen but the role has to be author-backed.

“I haven’t found a script that makes me feel like this is the one that I would like to do to reach a cinema audience. It has to be something that allows me to entertain the hell out of you for two-and-half hours and you come out of there saying, I just loved it. It has to be something that will leave an impact and it needs to be author-backed.”

Created by Ram Madhvani and Sandeep Modi, ‘Aarya’ was the official remake of the popular Dutch crime-drama ‘Penoza’, which revolves around a middle-aged woman and her struggle to save her family.

A former Miss Universe, the actor said playing strong characters in ‘Aarya’ and ‘Taali’—of a mother and a transgender activist, respectively—has inspired her to work hard in future.

“It’s an honour for any actor to get to play these characters in their lifetime. But then for an actor like me who left and came back not at her prime, to get that opportunity is a huge honour and responsibility as well. It’s where I have to pull up my socks every day and know that not everyone gets this and I have to make the most of it,” she added.

Sen’s character of Aarya has transitioned from being a homemaker in season one to becoming a don in season three.

For the third season of the show, Sen trained in Kalaripayattu.

“I thought it was going to be difficult but it was actually made fun by the action crew. Manohar sir is our action director and the teachers that came in from Kalaripayattu organization in Kerala made it pretty much like a workshop. We weren’t using words, we were using swords but it was fun,” she added.

The actor said there was a time when she would be afraid of reviews but now, she has learned to take both positive and negative reviews in her stride.

“I don’t know if reviews are the right way of measuring success. But people give direct and honest feedback on Instagram. There are people who still love me but they are blatant when it comes to certain things. They are like, I did not like this and you can do better.”

“…Now, I look forward to it because when I get that, it’s constructive criticism. I do want feedback, good, bad, or ugly,” she said.

‘Aarya 3’ would also see actors Sikander Kher, Vikas Kumar, and Maya Sarao among others reprising their roles from previous seasons. Actor-singer Ila Arun is the new addition to the show.