Karisma Kapoor says Brown convinced her to return to long-format projects
Karisma Kapoor revealed that she initially rejected Brown due to the long shooting schedule, but changed her mind after reading the script and discovering the many layers of her characters, Rita Brown.
Actor Karisma Kapoor has revealed that she almost passed on Brown before even hearing about the story. However, the layered and emotionally complex character of Rita Brown ultimately convinced her to return to a long-format project, a commitment she initially wasn't sure she wanted to take on.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, Karisma opened up about what attracted her to the role and the emotional challenges of playing Rita Brown. She also shared why she believes audiences today are increasingly connecting with complex, grey characters.
KARISMA KAPOOR ON RITA BROWN
Reflecting on the role, Karisma said she was immediately fascinated by the complexity of Rita Brown.
"I think I really enjoyed playing Rita Brown. There are so many layers to her. She's so burdened. It's not only just trauma; there are many layers. Portraying her character was very different, and I think that's why I finally went back on set. The team really kind of goaded me into it," she said.
Interestingly, the actor revealed that she had initially turned down the project before even hearing about the character.
"At first, I had said no to Brown. I don't do much work. It wasn't about the character. I'd not even heard about the character. I was like, 'Oh my God, should I go to Kolkata for 50 days? I don't think I want to do this.' It's a series, a lot of big commitment. I think doing OTT is also tough. It's not like a film. On an OTT set, it's very different because scenes from different episodes happen. But once I heard the script, I was like, 'This is something I have to do,'" she said.
KAPOOR ON PORTRAYING INTENSE CHARACTERS
Karisma also opened up about the emotional weight that comes with portraying intense characters and admitted that Rita Brown stayed with her even after pack-up.
"Definitely, when you play such emotional characters, it does come home with you. You're putting your heart and soul into it. You need to feel that feeling of the character. Rita is an alcoholic, she's a chain smoker, and she's dealing with so many things in her life. So it does come home, definitely," she said.
The actor added that this isn't the first time a role has followed her beyond the set.
"Even in the past, with films like Zubeidaa and Shakti, you do take it home. You take the character home every day because you're thinking about it. You're thinking about what you're going to do the next day on the set. So definitely," she said.
'FLAWED CHARACTERS ARE BECOMING MORE HUMAN'
Discussing the growing popularity of flawed protagonists in contemporary storytelling, Karisma said she views such characters as reflections of real life rather than imperfections.
"I have a different take also on the flawed character, if I may say. I would call it that they are becoming more human. We are human beings at the end of the day. We all have feelings," she said.
The actor added, "So instead of them being in the cookie-cutter mould where a heroine should be like this and a hero should be like this, and a villain should be like that, there's no black and white now. They're grey. They become more human, more real. We're seeing the real side of these characters more often now."
Brown, starring Karisma Kapoor, Jisshu Sengupta, and Surya Sharma, is set to release on June 5 on Zee5.