Subhash K Jha speaks with Mohit Raina about his intense performance in the psychological thriller Kankhajura.
In Kankhajura you and Roshan Mathew play against one another in a pitch-perfect jugalbandi?
With time I have realised it’s very important in a two-actor story , that both actors are secure . Otherwise it can become very tricky .Luckily I had a great experience . Roshan is very secure about his craft. The give and take in each scene was organic. The base of our equation was that, and now we do share a lot more than just actors.
Was it tough getting into the mind of this complex morally ambivalent character?
Kankhajura gave me an opportunity to play Max an extremely complex character , our director Chandan Arora was very clear since inception about the layers of Max ; it’s his baby and he has spent a lot more time on it than us actors , I just followed his vision.
But how do you view Max?
Max is both , a man on a mission to achieve everything by hook or crook and not letting go of any opportunity. He can go to any extent to achieve what he desires .
Do you see the OTT space as a blessing for actors like you?
The OTT space is definitely a blessing , a lot has changed in last two years , makers have specially realised mediocrity will not be accepted, you have to have something different to pitch to the audience, they are currently ruthless .
Did you watch the original Israeli serial Magpie?
I deliberately didn’t see the original series as I didn’t want a reference point in my head. At times it’s good to start on a clean slate .
Was it hard snapping out of such a dark character?
Snapping out of a character now after working for so many years is not that difficult , few breathing exercises and a look in the cell phone does it for me .
Are you satisfied with your journey so far?
I am satisfied with my journey , though I feel there’s still a lot to explore and I still have a lot more in me to give .
What next ?
Next is a love story. Hopefully should be able to talk about it soon .
