Mouni Roy admits people could only see her as ‘saree-clad Indian character’ after Naagin, Sati: ‘Glad Milan Luthria visualised me in a different role’

Mouni Roy says she was hungry to play the role of Nayantara in Sultan of Delhi because she hadn’t played a character like that before — one with several shades of grey. Talking about how she bagged the role, Mouni shared, “I finished reading the book in two or three hours. I remember looking for it on Amazon, but it was taking time. So I went to a book store in Lokhandwala, picked the book, came home and read it. I absolutely loved it. It has great potential to turn into a film or series. I also think it has a beautiful blend of classic and popular fiction. It is a period drama, but it is not like you just sit there feeling worried. You want to know what’s happening to the characters, you want to know what happens in the next chapter. As soon as I finished reading it, I was hoping and praying that I would get a call for the part of Nayantara and I am happy I did.”

Mouni then described her experience working with Milan Luthria, who has directed films like Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, The Dirty Picture, among others.

“It is nice for us when someone like Milan sir is there who understands his actors. It takes a lot to understand your actors and how they function. He is just amazing with actors. He gives a lot of space to actors to bring out their best and give their all to the characters. Like when I am on set, I love to talk. And the boys, they were always so quiet. I would go to Milan sir and start asking him questions and he would just nod. He is literally like a switch on, switch off tape recorder,” shared Mouni.

She added, “I would ask him to tell me stories about my character and he would indulge me. He’d tell me the backstory in detail, which really helped me play Nayantara better. We also had an additional benefit. He is like this treasure chest full of stories that he would share with us. It opened up new and different avenues for me as an actor. Once he starts talking, it is like a workshop. One can literally sit and take notes.”

People really took notice of Mouni Roy’s turn as Junoon in Brahmastra. When asked how Ayan Mukerji’s film has added to her filmography, Mouni admits that after being looked at in a particular way since doing Naagin and Sati, Brahmastra gave her the break she deserved as she’s been in the acting field for over 15 years now.

She shared, “I am doing a few things that I still can’t talk about before they are announced. I think work gets work. I don’t think it’s just Brahmastra. I have been one person who’s been working for 15 years, almost 16 years now. I have never stopped. I think that has taught me everything I need to learn in my journey. I need to keep working. When you keep working, somebody will see you somewhere, think of you in a certain character or role.”

On breaking the typecast, Mouni said, “Brahmastra was absolutely different. When you see Gold, RAW and Made In China, I had played very Indianised characters. Maybe after Naagin and Sati, people could only see me as a ‘saree-clad Indian character’. So, for Milan sir to think of me as this cabaret dancer Nayantara, at a time when Brahmastra had not even released. I think it is an exciting time to be an actor where makers can visualise you in different roles. Such great parts are being written. I really feel fortunate to be offered these parts and be able to play them on screen.”