Vaani Kapoor has accepted criticism of her work, but it stings when 'reduced to a headline or comment' | Interview

Vaani Kapoor talks about her new show Mandala Murders and her acting journey in an exclusive chat with Hindustan Times.

"Full of anxiety," is how Vaani Kapoor describes her state of mind around the release of her first web series, Mandala Murders. The Netflix series was released earlier this week and has been trending at the top spot on the platform. In a chat with Hindustan Times, Vaani reflects on playing a hardened cop on the show, her journey from films to OTT, and learning how to take feedback.

Vaani Kapoor talks about her new show Mandala Murders and her acting journey.

On playing a hardened cop

Mandala Murders is as much a psychological thriller as it is a fantasy drama, blending the paranormal with a police procedural. The Gopi Puthran show stars Vaani as a CBI officer (changed to CIB on the show) tasked with solving serial murders in the fictitious holy town of Charandaspur. "I've never done something like this before. It's very different in the tone, its energy. So to bite into it and to buy that world was a risk that the filmmakers took. I'm just grateful and happy for the opportunity, the fact that a filmmaker like Gopi sir could see something like this in me," she says, while talking about the show.

Her character, Riya, is a police officer. To Vaani and Gopi Puthran's credit, they manage to portray the character with authority and stillness without needing to masculinise her. "He's really trying to create that balance of who she is," says Vaani, "She's an individual, and girls and women in general embody so much inner strength, and when needed, the physicality stands up for this character." However, the character did give Vaani one of her biggest challenges in front of the camera. She explains, “To feel deeply by showing very little is something that was the biggest challenge. You're doing more work internally, but the payoff can be quiet and subtle.”

Her character lacks the frills and charms that many of her previous roles have had. "It's delicious. It's fascinating. It's also challenging, because you're not trying to be charming or cute or even, for that matter, flashy," she says, adding, "There's more realism to her, and there's more internal work. She's not breaking down, she's not being emotionally volatile. That was the attempt: to make her as earnest and honest as possible."

On the proliferation of OTT

Having been in the industry for over a decade since her debut in 2013, Mandala Murders is Vaani's first web series. She sees the OTT medium as a sign of changing times. "You don't see as many theatrical films coming out as the content that comes out on OTT platforms," she says

That, of course, helps the actors as well. "Actors also get those many opportunities to explore unexplored territories, in terms of performances, character graphs, characteristics of the portrayal of various kinds of characters with different layers that one can peel off with each episode," says Vaani.

On feedback versus trolling

While many stars today stay away from reading reviews and social media comments to avoid negativity, Vaani says she makes it a point to read every review. "I literally go through each and every review," she says, adding, "Yes, there are opinions which are constructive, and then there are some which are just harsh for the sake of it. I'm constantly understanding, evolving, learning, and growing from the feedback. It's not like I've got it all together. I'm also understanding what works, what doesn't work. And it'll come with the experience."

But what irks her is the criticism for the sake of criticism and when comments turn harsh. Vaani explains, "I've accepted that criticism is part of this journey of being an actor, and it will be constructive and it will be harsh. And you put yourself into your work, and sometimes it can just be reduced to a headline or a comment, which can sting. But over time, I've learned to separate my work from my worth. You start to understand that not every opinion is a reflection of your truth. Some feedback helps you grow, and some you simply have to just let pass, and what matters to me, honestly, is the intention. And honestly, you can't please everyone."

Mandala Murders also stars Vaibhav Raj Gupta and Surveen Chawla in key roles. The series is currently streaming on Netflix.