Jennifer Winget is reprising her role as Maya Malhotra in upcoming show Beyhadh 2 on Sony TV. The gorgeous actress is popular to play any shade of character with equal ease. Her popular roles include positive characters like Zoya Akhtar in Bepanaah, Kumud in Saraswatichandra, Riddhima in Dill Mill Gaye and extremely dark Maya Malhotra in Beyhadh. Reprising such a dark shade again and promising to be more intense and darker than previous one reminds us of asking her whether she ever be affected by it. In an exclusive tete-a-tete with Just ShowBiz she answers this question and many more.
Excerpts:
What made you come back as Maya Mehrotra in Beyhadh 2?
I am completely in love with my character Maya in Beyhadh. So much that, it called for a do-over! ? But in all seriousness, the show gave me a blank canvas to chart the course of my character. Being out of the box, you have the opportunity to get creative. Not very often do roles like this fall into your lap so for an actor it really gets you to push your limits, whilst working within your resources. Both, the show and character are close to heart.
How easy is it to get into headspace of Maya? Has it ever taken a toll on you?
I can’t really answer that truthfully because no matter how much you think you are prepared to play a character, you feel it’s not enough. I guess everyone has their own process of working – Reading up, researching. But nothing compares to when you place yourself in the character and work at it all day, every day. You realise that you’re getting better or worse than the previous day. You become your own critic and competition. You want to take the character a notch higher even in silences and that for me was the process. I mean, I’m still as nervous and get butterflies in my stomach before every shot when it comes to her. But when you give a good shot, you feel it in your gut and that’s the best feeling ever!
” You realise that you’re getting better or worse than the previous day. You become your own critic and competition.”
And yes at times there are certain scenes that shake you but once you know who you truly are no one can mess with your peace and like I’ve mentioned before, Maya is left behind once I step off the set. Plus in real life, and thank God for that, I haven’t had people or circumstances that push me to turn on the dark side. (Laughs)
” It’s going to be
all about
limitless hatred.”
You promised a crazier storm with the second leg of the show. What can we expect this time for Maya?
Season 2 concentrates more on the storyline. We’re going to just let it flow and chart its course. Beyhadh 2 promises to be crazier, darker and intense. It’s going to be all about limitless hatred. You’ll find Maya rooting for revenge all the way. This time she is in a contrasting role from the previous season.
Maya is very unsettling character but still what do you like in her as a person?
That you cannot imagine her next move. There’s no norm to her. She isn’t far-fetched, everyone goes through these obsessions and emotional extremes. Only difference, she just doesn’t sssh them up.
How pressurizing is it for you to reprise Maya since now people have a bar of expectations from you and they are bound to compare with season 1?
“We’re concentrating
more on the story.”
I am both nervous and excited. With Season 1, none of us knew how the audiences would react to a character with so many shades as Maya. So, there was a lot of trial and error that went on there. With season 2, we’re concentrating more on the story, just letting it flow and make a difference. We’re hoping and praying that we achieve the same amount of success, if not more. But look they say “hell hath no fury, like a woman scorned” and when the woman is Maya, it’s definitely going to be some unthinkable scorning. I can’t really give out too much but she’s going for revenge in Season 2, and it definitely calls for twice as much more.
Maya’s style statements were quite experimental and successful in last season. Which style is been chosen to represent her this time?
While the storyline in Beyhadh 1 centred around love, it went with a whole white look for Maya, occasionally experimenting with warmer tones of hair colour, shorter lengths of hair and even a shocking bald look in one of it’s episodes, that left the audiences stunned. For Beyhadh 2, multiple look tests later, the final look zeroed in is of this bold, fearless, strong, bull-headed woman. Black therefore was an obvious choice for Maya in this sequel. So you will see it reign throughout the season.
“I like to be personally involved in the crafting of my look- sometimes down to the T. “
I like to be personally involved in the crafting of my look- sometimes down to the T. And especially more so when it comes to Maya. So, to step it up a notch, this time I’ve gone and coloured my hair burgundy red to compliment the dark look of the season, to really get deep into the skin of Maya.
What do you have to say about your co-actors Ashish and Shivin?
Oh it’s been delightful! Shivin is sincere and though we haven’t shot a lot together, it’s been fun so far. Ashish, on the other hand, I haven’t yet shot at all with but he’s a dear friend and I’m really looking forward to our camaraderie and scenes together.
You have played dark Maya and extremely positive Zoya. Which one was difficult to portray and why?
Every character I have chosen to play has had its own story to tell and journey. But truth be told, since I’m far from Maya in real life; I am no miss goody two shoes, so it’s a refreshing change when you get to be deviant through her. ? I do believe that my comeback with Beyhadh made me fall in love with my work even more.
“Pushing your limits, researching, experimenting, taking the risk and seeing it be appreciated. What more can you ask for?”
Before that, I was acting but not enjoying it so much, Beyhadh changed that for me. It left me to weave the character and build as the script flowed. It was beyond the ordinary and which actor doesn’t like that. Pushing your limits, researching, experimenting, taking the risk and seeing it be appreciated. What more can you ask for? There was suddenly so much more to the job that didn’t make it feel like a job anymore. And so, there you have it.
I also think that we’ve all had our share of the Saas-bahu sagas, love stories going sour and complicated family feuds. Screenplays touch upon real stories and have gone beyond and are more experimental, today.
Spill some beans about yourself for your fans.
Beyhadh 2 releases November people and I’d just like to say a big thank you and that I am honestly very nervous this time around. I just hope that Beyhadh 2 is well received by audiences and that they appreciate us even more. I cannot wait for it to air and as always, will be eager to hear their views.
