Actress Nikita Dutta is presently busy promoting her much-anticipated film Dybbuk, the official remake of Malayalam supernatural horror thriller Ezra (2017). Directed by Jay K, who also helmed the original, the remake also stars Emraan Hashmi in the lead role.
For the Femina Miss India 2012 finalist, who featured in such television shows as Dream Girl and Haasil before making her presence felt with notable performances in such films as Kabir Singh (2019) and The Big Bull (2021), horror is the least favourite genre. “Why did I do this film was because I thought that as an actress, I wanted to do something different,” she tells Eastern Eye.
Keep reading on to find out what the talented actress has to say about the film, how she landed the part, why switching to films from television was a conscious decision and how, more often than not, television actors are looked down upon when they transition to films from the small screen.
What would you like to tell us about your character in Dybbuk without giving away much about the plot?
My character, Mahi, is married to Emraan Hashmi’s character in the film. They are a happy couple who unfortunately have a miscarriage. Following the miscarriage, they end up moving out of the country to another place due to work reasons. Since Mahi is an interior designer, she gets straight into setting her house up, doing some home décor, etc. That’s when she brings this Dybbuk box into the house and supernatural things start happening.
How did you bag this role? Did you audition for it?
Jay, my director, made me audition three times for this role, because the first two times, he was not very happy. I was made to audition again and again (laughs). So, yeah, I very much auditioned for this and that’s how I got the part.
Did you watch the original film before coming onboard or did you purposely decide against not watching it?
No, I had to. Because when the makers approached me for the film, I was not given any script. I was told to watch the original film instead. They had given me a DVD of Ezra. I had to actually watch it in Malayalam and kind of figure out what was happening. What other option did I have? In fact, I would say that that was one of the first horror films that I sat and watched without shutting my eyes for a moment because I did not have an option. I had to see it because I was going to do its remake in Hindi. So, I made my mom sit next to me and I told her that if at any point I was getting scared she would just tell me what was going on because I could not miss the plot. So, yeah, I did watch the original film beforehand.
Did it change your approach towards the character in any way?
Once I was done watching the original film, Jay asked me to erase it from my mind and do not remember anything of what I saw. He asked me to come with a fresh mind. So, I had to forget everything.
You do not seem to be a great fan of horror films, then what made you say yes to Dybbuk?
My fear is very individualistic because that’s how I am. I get scared of things that are scary and spooky. But why did I do this film was because I thought that as an actress, I wanted to do something different. All the characters that I have played before are the ones where I am this very sweet, simple girl, on similar lines. No matter where those characters come from, they have mostly been in a very similar zone. With Dybbuk, I was getting the chance to show my range of acting. So, there was no way I could not consider it and not think about it. It was my very selfish reason as an actor that, yes, I want to do something different that I want to experiment with my characters.
Do you think it is very important for actors to keep experimenting with the characters that they portray?
Yes, definitely. That’s the thought I always have in my head that whatever character I play, I hope I get the privilege to experiment, I get to try different things. Dybbuk is one of my first tries and I am hoping that it is a good one.
After Maska (2020) and The Big Bull, this is your third film that is heading directly to a streaming platform. Aren’t you a little disheartened that it is not releasing in theatres despite the fact that cinemas have resumed operations now?
No, I am not. I do believe that it is the need of the hour. In normal circumstances, the film would have definitely been getting a theatrical release. In this situation, an OTT release is the best possible thing that can happen to our film. We waited for two years. I am happier that it is finally coming out rather than thinking that, ‘Oh, it should have been released in theatres!’ I am not thinking about that at all.
In Indian horror films, why do we only see the heroine getting possessed by an evil spirit?
It is difficult to answer this one, but I will agree that it is a little cliched that generally, we see in our Hindi films a woman is turning into a witch, wearing white saris, etc. Unfortunately, that exists – that cliché. Having said that, I think visually cinema looks nicer when a female does this, like going crazy and looking a certain way than a man. I think that’s the idea that the makers might think of.
Which is your favourite horror film that you enjoyed while growing up?
As I said before, I have not been a horror film fan. If I start naming the horror films that I have watched, you will start laughing. I have watched both Jaani Dushman (1979) and Jaani Dushman (2002). I have also seen the film wherein Rahul Roy tuns into an animal (Junoon). I am sure the count is more but I have seen only a few horror films in Hindi. I am really scared of watching horror films. And not just horror, even if it comes to thrillers, psycho thrillers, etc., I used to get scared even while watching those films. I survived somehow, and I feel I am getting better at it.
You started your career with television and now you are busy creating your own space in Bollywood. How happy are you with your journey over the years?
I am very happy. Honestly, television was not a conscious choice. It was something that was offered to me and I decided to take it up because I am a person who is very uncomfortable sitting idle for too long. I always have this hunger that, "Yes, I need to keep working." You cannot even imagine how I survived the pandemic.
I clearly remember how television happened. I had just come out of college and Miss India had just happened when I was offered a show. I just said yes because somewhere I knew that I wanted to act. And I think that was a very right decision that I made at that time because I had never been to an acting school, I had no showbiz background, not a single person connected to the industry. So, somewhere that was a very good introduction to camera. Whatever I learnt, I learnt it over there. And I remember saying time and again that television is like net practice. Whether you hit a six or get clean bowled, no one will bother. Some days you do good scenes, other days you end up doing not so good scenes. But it is the practice and the experience that kind of make you better at your craft. So, it really helped me – three years of doing television. Switching to films was a conscious decision because somewhere deep inside I always wanted to do films. I am glad that finally and slowly that road is taking a turn and that it is happening.
Did you face any kind of discrimination when you were trying to transition to films because a lot of other actors have opened up about how they are judged by casting directors when they try to make the switch?
Yes, they do not only call television actors overexposed but also doubt their acting abilities. “They don’t know how to act,” some of them say. There are a lot of harsh truths that you come across when you are in this process of getting work. I always say, ‘Take a sip of water, gulp it down and move forward.’ That’s what I have done. I am fortunate enough that I met people who do not think like that and give everybody a fair chance. I am hoping that I keep meeting people like that ahead also.
Dybbuk is set to premiere on October 29 only on Amazon Prime Video.
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