Actress Anuja Sathe, who has been a part of various TV shows and films like Bajirao Mastani, Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran and more, will next be seen in the third and much-awaited season of Maharani. Starring Huma Qureshi, Amit Sial, Sohum Shah, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and others, the third season will release on March 7. The Free Press Journal caught up with Anuja for an exclusive interview.
Anuja, who essays the role of Kirti Singh, says she's excited before the show's release. "I have not seen the episodes yet but I'm sure the third season will be quite engaging and exciting. My experience working for it has been amazing and we had a blast collaborating with each other once again. When I finished the second season, I was already looking forward to the third one. I knew that my character is going to progress a lot and it has in the upcoming season. So I am also very much looking forward to it. It is a Women's Day gift for everyone. I have given my 100 per cent as an artist and everyone worked really hard to create the show," she gushes.
"The second season ended on a very interesting note and like our tagline says - Rise, Rule and Revenge, the third season will be all about revenge. The trailer has also given an idea about what's in store for the viewers. The audience will see something which cannot be explained in words and they will have to watch the show. Every bit is full of surprises and twists and turns," she adds.
Explaining how her character evolved from the previous season in Maharani 3, "In Maharani 2, my character Kirti always said that she is not politically-aspired. She was there for a reason and whatever she did had a motive. In the third season, she has been dragged into the political scenario and will actively be a part of it. The circle of life will be completed for sure in the third season for Kirti. I can't talk much about it because it's something everybody will have to watch. But it's different for sure. Kirti will be different."
Anuja is all praises for her co-stars. "We all operated like a family. There's a certain comfort we have because we have done multiple seasons of the show together. All the actors are fantastic. There's so much I learned from each one of them while shooting. When artists know their job perfectly, everything happens easily. We always used to have fun on sets even though we were making a political drama. There are so many intense scenes but between those shots, we used to always have fun," the actress shares.
Earlier, Anuja has played powerful roles in shows like Tamanna, Ek Thi Begum and others. Revealing her approach before signing these projects, Anushka says, "I have been extremely fortunate that these kinds of characters have come my way and when something of this stature comes, it's obvious that I will say yes. My first criteria is how strong the part is because I have always imagined myself playing these types of roles. The graph and craft of the character are also important to me. If I like the script, I always say yes."
On a concluding note, Anuja says she's in love with the current phase of OTT boom. "I'm really enjoying this phase. OTT has opened doors to actors and how. This is the best time to be an artist. I love to be a part of this OTT circle. Projects that come on digital platforms are content-driven. There are so many powerful and strong characters, besides the protagonist, to enhance the story. It's always great to play a protagonist but at the same time, if there is a strong part which the audience will always remember, then nothing like it. All the series we watch on OTT are ensemble, which is extremely important. There is no one hero or one heroine. There are so many talented actors you can see and learn from them," she signs off.
