Turkish actors Emin Günenç and İlsu Demirci on global popularity of Arafta, gruelling shoots, massive fandom | Interview

A year after their first table read for the Turkish drama Arafta on September 15, the actors spoke to Hindustan Times in their first joint interview for India.

Marriage of convenience may be one of television’s oldest romantic drama tropes, but Arafta: Bound by Fate has managed to give the familiar setup a much wider reach. What begins as a marriage built on revenge between Ateş and Mercan gradually turns into a slow-burning romance, drawing viewers from across the world and finding a particularly passionate audience in India. Turkish actors Emin Günenç and İlsu Demirci, who play Ateş Karahan and Mercan Yıldırım respectively, have been at the centre of that journey.

Arafta stars Emin Günenç and İlsu Demirci reveal the reality behind Ateş-Mercan’s romance.

A year after their first table read on September 15, the actors spoke to Hindustan Times in their first joint interview for India. They opened up about their characters, the difficult conditions they faced while filming some of the show's most intense scenes, their shared birthday and the unexpected response they have received from Indian fans. [Video interview coming soon].

A marriage that begins with revenge

Arafta revolves around Ateş Karahan (Emin Günenç), a wealthy man carrying deep scars from his childhood. He returns with one goal: to take revenge on the family he believes destroyed his life. His plan brings him into the life of Mercan Yıldırım (İlsu Demirci), whose family owes him money.

Ateş offers Mercan a way out, but there is a catch. She must enter into a 187-day contract marriage with him. What follows is a relationship neither of them could have anticipated. The arrangement is initially designed to hurt Mercan's father, but spending time together slowly changes the equation between Ateş and Mercan. Their relationship moves through anger, attraction, misunderstandings and moments of vulnerability, forming the emotional core of the series.

Emin Günenç and İlsu Demirci on the sets of season 2 of Arafta.

For Emin, revenge rather than marriage was always at the heart of Ateş's actions when the story began in season 1. “I didn't play the role heavily relying on the "contract marriage" aspect. His primary emotion wasn't marriage; it was revenge.,” Emin explains of his character. “Marriage was just a condition for that revenge—a way to hurt Mercan's father. However, there was never any intention to harm Mercan or treat her badly. Because he remembers her from the past, she always held a special place in his heart. As for behind the scenes, we spend so much time on set that we are in constant communication. We laugh and try to have fun. Even if we only have a 10-minute break during an intense shooting schedule, we use those 10 minutes to chat, joke around, and recharge our batteries.”

İlsu sees the appeal of the relationship from Mercan's perspective, particularly because the marriage begins without either character having a real choice in the matter. “A contract marriage is a very difficult situation, especially for a woman, because it's forced. But I think it draws the audience in because they get to watch these characters, who were pushed together out of obligation, slowly get to know each other. They stubbornly clash, but eventually see each other's wounds and fall in love. As for off-camera, Emin usually just annoys me! (laughs). We do talk a lot, but sometimes we are so exhausted from the long hours that we just collapse in a corner. But when we do have the energy to sit and talk, we have a lot of fun. We've spent two seasons making the most of our breaks—resting, talking, and laughing together.”

A birthday coincidence neither expected

Emin and İlsu were born on exactly the same day, July 23, although they are a decade apart. The coincidence became even more memorable when season 2 began on their shared birthday, giving fans another reason to celebrate.

“I'd say being partners was written in our destiny. It’s a very rare coincidence in this industry. We share the same zodiac sign, which is probably why we get along so well. Ilsu is a very easy-going person. I can be a bit naughty and tease her sometimes, but we always maintain a deep respect for one another and know our boundaries,” Emin says.

İlsu admits she initially thought Emin was joking when he told her they had the same birthday. "I agree! I don't know if it's destiny or just a coincidence, but it's very strange. I had never met anyone who shared my exact birthday until I met Emin. I actually thought he was tricking me when he first told me! It turned out great. Even if we didn't share a birthday, I think we'd still get along perfectly. Emin is a very fun person, and his occasional teasing definitely adds flavour to our dynamic," Ilsu adds.

The scenes that pushed them to their limits

For all the romance and drama on screen, making Arafta has not always been comfortable for its leads. Some of the show's most demanding sequences were also among the hardest for Emin and İlsu to film. Emin remembers one particular sequence from January 2026, when he had to film inside a freshly dug grave in the middle of a forest during heavy rain. As the shoot continued, the grave began filling with freezing rainwater.

“There is a very intense scene in the season two finale, but I can't give spoilers! As for season one, the hardest scene was definitely the finale. We shot it in January, under heavy rain, in the middle of a forest. I had to lie in a freshly dug grave as it slowly filled with freezing rainwater until it reached my ears,” Emin recalls. “The crew watching behind the camera was literally crying. The producer even called to check on us because it looked so worrisome. That was the most physically demanding day of my acting career. I was shivering so much from the cold that even though my eyes were closed to play dead, my jaw was visibly shaking.”

İlsu had her own difficult experience while filming a pool sequence during winter. Her character was tied up and had to remain in the water for hours, making the sequence as physically demanding as it looked dramatic on screen.

“Besides the freezing graveyard scene where we were covered in mud and water in paper-thin clothes, the pool scene was incredibly difficult. I was tied up and stationary in a freezing pool from the crack of dawn until the evening. Even with wetsuits underneath, the water got everywhere. I was literally freezing and almost drowning; I started panicking and swallowing water. I actually cried on set that day from the sheer exhaustion and cold. However, the scene where Emin passes out and I take off my veil to apply pressure to his wound turned out beautifully. I was genuinely crying, and even though my wedding dress was incredibly heavy from the water and mud, it remains one of my favourite scenes,” she reveals.

The physical demands were not the only challenge. The emotional intensity of the show could follow the actors home after filming, particularly when scenes required repeated takes of crying or heightened emotions. “Because I cried a lot during the scenes, even if I was home, the factor of crying still affected me. I wanted the voices in my head to stop,” she shares.

Season 2 changes everything for Ateş and Mercan

The first season built its story around the revenge aspect, the contract marriage, and the complicated feelings that developed between Ateş and Mercan. Season 2, however, takes those characters into even more complicated territory. One of the biggest developments is the revelation that Eylül, Ateş' sister, is alive. Her return has major consequences for him because it directly challenges the circumstances that shaped his desire for revenge in the first place.

“The main theme of the second season is her arrival. Throughout the first season, my drive for revenge was based on the belief that Eylül and my family were dead. Finding out she is alive changes everything for Ateş,” Emin says.

For Mercan, Eylül's return also brings her father's past actions back into focus. İlsu explains, “Since the season's story starts with Eylül, it has a massive impact on Mercan too. Ateş and Mercan had just managed to internally resolve the mistakes her father had made in the past. But now, having Eylül standing right in front of her in the flesh causes an incredible emotional collapse for Mercan. All the cruelty her father inflicted on Eylül essentially falls onto Mercan's shoulders.”

If they were to give advice to their characters

Given how often Ateş and Mercan clash, İlsu is also clear about what she thinks the couple should change about their relationship. “They shouldn't take relationship advice from me! But honestly, I would tell them to be more patient and mature. Sometimes they behave like children. Mercan constantly throws fits, and Ateş is always trying to provoke her. It would be better if they stopped that dynamic,” she says.

Emin, however, sees those differences as part of what makes the relationship work. “Their minds align perfectly, but they are opposite personalities, which is exactly what draws them to each other. Ateş is a strong, tough guy. If Mercan just said ‘yes’ to everything he wanted, there wouldn't be as much attraction. The fact that she stands her ground and says ‘no’ makes her incredibly attractive to him.”

Arafta's unexpected India popularity

While Arafta has audiences in several countries, the response from India has been particularly striking for its two leads. The series has found viewers through dubbing on Amazon Prime Video's MX Player. Social media edits featuring Ateş and Mercan have further helped introduce the Turkish drama to Indian viewers.

For Emin and İlsu, however, the scale of the Indian fandom has been unexpected. Neither actor has had much exposure to Indian cinema or television, despite the response they have received from viewers here. “Honestly, we are both incredibly curious about India. We receive so many amazing messages from Indian fans. I even heard that I made it onto the main television news there! If we ever receive an invitation, we would absolutely love to visit India and meet our fans. As for Indian cinema, the one actor I know and whose films I've watched is Aamir Khan,” Emin shared.

İlsu has a similar answer. “I only really know Aamir Khan from watching his movies when I was younger. I don't actively watch any Indian series right now, but I am very curious about the country. We know we have a massive fanbase there, and I would love to go see it all in person one day,” she adds.

‘I am so glad they exist’

For İlsu, the scale of that support is still difficult to put into words. She says, "I want to thank them with all my heart. Their support is the biggest reason for our success. It’s mind-blowing to have millions of people supporting you. I am so glad they exist; we love them very much, and we are so grateful. We have actually mentioned visiting India to our production company, and we really hope to make it happen before the second season finishes airing.”

Emin echoes that sentiment, particularly when it comes to the time Indian fans put into creating edits and interacting with the show. “We want to thank our audience all over the world, but especially our followers in India, which is our largest fanbase. Thank you for dedicating so much time to making edits and sending us your love and admiration. We want to reply to everyone, but there are so many messages that it's physically impossible. Just know that your support makes us feel incredibly special and happy. Ilsu and I actually send the fan edits to each other all the time! We really hope to have a fan meeting in India one day,” he concludes.