Merenla Imsong, Paatal Lok 2’s Rose Lizo, opens up about depth of the character, her mother’s reaction: ‘She had high BP after watching the show’

In an interview with SCREEN, Imsong opened up about how she brought the complex character to life, why her mother’s blood pressure rose after watching the show, and her struggles as a ‘Northeastern’ actor in Mumbai.

Preparing to be Rose: A journey of understanding addiction

To prepare for Rose, Imsong—who did not watch Season 1—immersed herself in the world of addiction. She watched documentaries, interviewed people who had struggled with addiction, and even reached out to those who had been through rehab. But what truly shaped her understanding of Rose was a YouTube interview with a woman talking about her addiction and how she didn’t want her child to go through the same ordeal.

“That’s when I realised it’s not about the physical transformation or the outer appearance. It’s about understanding their story, their pain. I realised I wasn’t supposed to feel pity for her. She’s not weak. She’s strong, she’s fighting every day. And that’s what I wanted to bring to the character,” she said.

Playing Rose wasn’t without its challenges. When asked about a scene that has stayed with her, Imsong shared that she was often terrified of overplaying certain emotions, particularly when it came to portraying physical or emotional states. “The scene where I meet Reuben while drunk was a huge concern. I didn’t want to overdo it. Being drunk on screen is tough. There’s a fine line between being authentic and being over-the-top,” she said.

Working with Jaideep Ahlawat, Tillotama Shome

“I was nervous, of course,” confessed Imsong when asked about working with terrific actors like Jaideep Ahlawat, Tillotama Shome, and Ishwak Singh.

“When I first met Jaideep, I was intimidated. The man has a larger-than-life presence. But he was so kind, so welcoming. It made me feel at ease. Ishwak was super chill, and Tilottama, I had known her a bit before, and we got along like old friends,” she said.

Rose’s character in Pataal Lok 2 is undeniably intense, offering a portrayal that could be deeply unsettling for many. Her struggle with heroin addiction and the battle against her inner demons left Imsong’s mother in trauma. “My mother got very high blood pressure after watching the show,” Imsong said, adding that her mother also told me that worrying about Hathiram made her shoulders stiff.

“She was extremely upset about a certain character’s death, which the whole Internet is upset about,” Imsong told SCREEN. She also shared how her mother was terrified of Daniel (played by Prashant Tamang). “I had to convince her he’s actually a very sweet, soft-spoken guy,” she said.

Representation and Northeast India

One of the most powerful aspects of Paatal Lok 2 is its portrayal of Northeastern characters and the social issues they face. From identity struggle to discrimination to the challenge of being “othered,” Imsong said she hoped that such shows can be a stepping stone for more diverse representations of the Northeast in mainstream media.

“It’s frustrating sometimes,” she said, “I get cast in roles that specifically require a Northeastern character. And there’s always this sense that we have to carry the burden of our race with us. We don’t always have to explain our identity. We’re just people.”

But, Imsong is hopeful. “The industry is slowly evolving. More stories are coming out, and I hope that with time, there will be a shift, where Northeastern characters are just characters, not defined by their region or race,” she said.

Casting beyond social media following

In times when social media following plays an intrinsic role in bagging a role in a movie or OTT project, Imsong—who has earlier worked with Neena Gupta and Chunky Panday in Shuruaat Ka Twist—believes that it was her audition that led her to Rose Lizo.

“I do not think social media had anything to do with me being cast because the creators of the show have been very particular about that. I remember Sudip Sharma, the creator of the show, talking about how casting directors these days share actors’ profiles with their social media follower count. And he said, ‘This makes absolutely no sense to me because I’m not going to hire someone based on the followers.’ So, I really like to believe that whatever I did on Instagram had nothing to do with me being cast,” Imsong said.

“I was very fortunate the story is set in Nagaland, and they needed Naga actors. They needed people who could speak the language. I also kind of had the build which fit the character,” she said.

Imsong, a science student uncertain about a career in acting before landing the powerful role in Paatal Lok 2, shared her deep admiration for Anurag Kashyap. “Certain parts of his film debut were shot in my college in Delhi. I missed it since I had gone home for winter vacation, but people were telling me about how wonderful he was. He’s consuming good cinema and is very particular about what he watches. So it’s nice when he watches your show and likes it,” she said, adding that if given a chance, she would always want to work with him.