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00:00Season 2, she's more in control. She's aware of her political power, she's been chief minister for a while so she knows the rules a little bit more.
00:11Tell me, how are things with you? Back with the second season. Congratulations.
00:15Thank you so much. Yes, very excited, very happy, full of excitement to share season 2 with everyone.
00:22And I think the biggest validation for any actor in a web series is when she gets signed on for the second season.
00:2810 seasons and I should just be like, it's just good to know like you said that people have loved your work, that they want to see more of you, that the story has resonated with them
00:38and it's such an important character like I feel like it's a bit of Rani Bharti in all of us, right? So yeah, Rani Bharti has that you know that connection with all of us.
00:47And she's a fierce character as well. I mean she was politically naive in the first season but the second season not so much, she's on a surer footing etc.
00:56So, is she more in control this season?
00:58Yes, she is. She definitely is. I mean season 1 of course we saw her like you know sort of being pushed into this by her husband who's also like a political father figure
01:09but and she's also like figuring a way out of how to do and blah blah blah but now season 2 she's more in control because she's aware of her political power, she's been chief minister for a while so she knows the rules a little bit more
01:22and now she's also trying to clean up the system and take the bad guys to task as she should. So yeah, it's going to be lots of fun and fireworks.
01:31And what is Blah Blah Blu Blu? We have to know. Is that a new political lingo I was not aware of? What is that?
01:36If I tell you then what's the fun of it? You have to watch. I can promise you one thing, when you start watching the show, after the first 10 minutes a blast is going to happen.
01:46Was that also very exciting for you? Like you know finally a web series that kind of allows you to explore your range because this is one place, it's not like a 3 hour thing, you're not limited by time are you?
01:56Not at all and you know when I first did a series which was Lehla Bakht a few years ago and I remember I was the first female to headline a series on OTT.
02:05Everybody kept telling me don't do OTT right now, you know like people will think you don't have a film and your career is going nowhere and it's like a step down from the theatrical experience
02:15and I'm like no, I've been seeing a lot of international series, we all binge watch it and there's a certain movement in terms of you know the good writing and the good directors and the good actors sort of going over there.
02:25Some really phenomenal work is happening over there and I think it's just a matter of time before that sort of comes to India as well and so it has happened that because of COVID, that process is just sort of you know hastened and that time has come faster and now today you know it's such a thriving ecosystem for everyone
02:44and that today makes me very happy that when you see, I see so many girls headlining series and shows and films in the OTT space and I was like yeah okay, maybe I was the first one.
02:53Cinemas are not going anywhere, theatres are not going anywhere, it's just a matter of time too, good films will come and we'll do some bumper business and we'll all say oh my god, the great days are back again
03:04and nor is the OTT service going anywhere. I think what's going to happen is there's so much stuff happening, it's like television boom back in the day right where everybody is doing TV and then a lot of not so good stuff will come out and then you will suddenly start saying oh my god, so much
03:20kachara is happening and then that clean up will happen and then just the good stuff will remain so I think it's that is the process you know and it's an ebb and flow and it's always happening, it will always happen.
03:31What do you think about Maharani actually worked? I mean see it's not an urbane you know setting, it's very rooted in the heartland so what do you think what is it because it was spearheaded by a woman, it is good to see women take charge, what do you think when you analyze the success of Maharani?
03:49I would like to believe so but I can't be so vain.
03:53You have earned the right, you have served your time.
03:56Thank you, no but I don't want to be that vain but I think thematically story wise what really, really worked for Maharani is a bunch of things you know when we were also attempting to make this show there were a lot of things we were almost considering like
04:10number one in the OTT space there were so many thrillers and really hard-hitting crime dramas and in the Indian sphere you know there was not really a show that kind of cut beyond that I think what really worked for Maharani that you know
04:23A, it's a political show that politics is a huge part of the Indian sort of DNA like we love discussing our cricket and politics and films, the top holy trinity as I call it but there hasn't been like a good political drama ever like of course we love The Crown and House of Cards and all of that but in India we don't really have a good, good political drama so there was that vacuum, also it's a show that I think apart from the big cities is also cut across the smaller towns and
04:50the smaller centres which I think is really important because Rani Bharti as a character is very rooted in Indian culture you know she's a Bhati Vrata, she's a Bharatiya Nari, she loves her puja part, she does all of that yet she's so progressive you know and what really I think worked for her is also the fact that you know a lot of times a big part of our population feels very alienated because you know mainstream makes them feel if they're vernacular or they can't speak English very well that they're not
05:19educated or they're not intelligent and that's not entirely true so you finally have a protagonist who's you know not cloned in English, not seen the inside of a classroom, not travelled the world but is actually a very smart cookie and is a woman you know so she leaves the bottom of the barrel but she rises to be this hero so I think it's got a bunch of very interesting thematic things that resonate with an Indian audience.
05:40I've made my share of mistakes and done things the hard way and had my shares of successes and failures and whatever but the only reason I think I'm still here is because I'm being myself, I'm apologetic because there is no other way to be, I cannot be like some other person because that's not my journey you know that's not my reality, that's not where I come from, I can only be who I am and this is me, I'm just an actor, I'm a purist like that as a woman do I not like fashion and dressing up and looking glamorous, do I not
06:10enjoy makeup, of course I enjoy all of it you know I do and I would be lying if I said I did not, we all do you know we all like to be appreciated and complimented on and blah blah but I also feel like I mean in my profession at least there's so much focus on women and how they look, how beautiful they are, how hot they are, how sexy they are and that's great like there's no like problem with that I love getting compliments, please keep them coming but I feel like there has to be something more I know so many Malayalam actresses today who
06:40refuse to wear makeup, they are big stars over there and they're stunning actresses and I love the fact that they're shattering that idea of what an actress should look like like says who, I mean I know I've heard this, you're so beautiful you should only do certain kind of roles but I can do more, why should I only do this, do I not enjoy singing, dancing you know doing the romantic parts, of course I do, do I not you know like people who sing songs about how stunning I look, of course I do but I also can do more
07:10so let me do more in life
07:12Huma you need to tell me if you were a prime minister, I mean chief minister for a week what would you do, what are the causes you would take up
07:19environment, I think not enough work happens you know and I feel like that's such a cause for worry and concern I feel like it's going to bite us really badly, very soon so that's something we have to really, you know plastic waste management and children education
07:38that's something that's very close to my heart, I feel like not enough focus and stress in that and crime against women