Stepping onto the set of her first OTT project actor Kanika Maheshwari brings 20 years of rich television journey into a whole new medium.
Transitioning from daily soaps to OTT was an ambition months in the making, “Stepping into the OTT platform was a great opportunity given to me that I have been manifesting it for the last six months,” she shares, reflecting on her artistic reset. “The manifestation was very strong. Short-take kind of scenes are very different, so I came with an empty cup I am still learning.”
Talking about her playing a dark character in her last TV show, “Playing a baddie in the show Seher Hone Ko Hai made me look at the dark roles in different light. I remember the makers called me for two months, but I held onto my place for a long time. The scenes I have done, I have never done in my life and it takes a lot of courage to do such scenes,” she says. The psychological weight of the role was so intense that shedding the character became a physical necessity. “I really have to wash myself out of the character of Husan Aara and the vamp vibes,” (laughs).
Beyond the dramatic intensity, the role centred on Lucknawi Urdu made her to explore the language for the first time. “The experience with the Urdu language was a very different, it’s such a beautiful and expressive language. Even, as the show ends, I really want to continue to learn it because it sounds so respectful.”
{{/usCountry}}Beyond the dramatic intensity, the role centred on Lucknawi Urdu made her to explore the language for the first time. “The experience with the Urdu language was a very different, it’s such a beautiful and expressive language. Even, as the show ends, I really want to continue to learn it because it sounds so respectful.”
{{/usCountry}}On the audience reaction as the ultimate validation of her craft: “If you portray such a negative character and people hate you for that, it’s a win for you because it’s not easy to perform.”
Looking back at the impact of Seher Hone Ko Hai, Kanika acknowledges the aesthetic and dramatic elements that made the project resonate so strongly with the audience. "People were watching because of Mahid and Seher's chemistry, outfits, Urdu, and lighting," she reflects gently on the show's farewell. "Every story has an end, and this is the end of a beautiful story."Shooting stories deeply rooted in the heartland naturally brings up connections to places like Lucknow, “Lucknow means memories that started as a child visiting relatives and then of course for work. There are a lot of Maheshwaris in Lucknow and I have very fond memories. If I had a choice, I would make more frequent visits to the city," says the actor.