Actor Priya Bapat has been receiving great feedback for playing Poornima Gaikwad in Nagesh Kukunoor’s City of Dreams. The audiences have been appreciating her character graph and the way it picks pace in the 10-episode-long series on Hotstar.
The Aamhi Doghi (2018) actor was one of the few actors in the team, who received the full script at the start. “When I read the script, I realised that my character has a journey. The beauty of the character lies in the fact that her layers and shades come out unexpectedly. I was glad that the audiences travelled with me and understood the journey,” says Priya.
Interestingly, the actor adds that playing the strong, powerful character who has a cold-hearted transformation was easier than playing the suppressed and underplayed one. “The role reversal came easier as I did not have to deal with turmoil or underplay. Also, the character was written so beautifully that I just had to deliver,” she says.
Priya was under much scrutiny for her lip lock with a person of the same gender on the show. However, the actor admits that she was never in doubt of playing the part. “I knew it right from the time I auditioned [that I wanted to play the role], so I had no inhibitions at all. Morally and fundamentally, I had no problems with the character. I was just concerned about portraying it right. I did not want it to look like a caricature or fake,” she says.
{{/usCountry}}Priya was under much scrutiny for her lip lock with a person of the same gender on the show. However, the actor admits that she was never in doubt of playing the part. “I knew it right from the time I auditioned [that I wanted to play the role], so I had no inhibitions at all. Morally and fundamentally, I had no problems with the character. I was just concerned about portraying it right. I did not want it to look like a caricature or fake,” she says.
{{/usCountry}}On a brighter note, Priya did receive a lot of support and compliments from the LGBTQIA+ community on her social media. “The support of the LGBTQIA+ community meant a lot. They extended their warmth and were glad that I agreed to play the part [of a lesbian].”
Talking about receiving appreciation, Priya adds that it is extremely difficult to please Umesh (Kamat, husband). They have known each other for 14 years, so it takes much more to surprise each other with a performance. “He saw me work hard to play Poornima, so he was pleasantly surprised and admitted that I looked and played the part differently. This was a huge compliment, coming from him.”