Mahie Gill on being typecast: Been a challenge to showcase that there is more to me as an actor

Durgamati will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on December 11. (Photo: Amazon Prime Video/YouTube)

Actor Mahie Gill will be seen playing a CBI officer in upcoming horror-thriller Durgamati, which is a remake of 2018 release Bhaagamathie. While the original was headlined by Anushka Shetty, Durgamati has Bhumi Pednekar in the lead role.

In an exclusive conversation with indianexpress.com, Mahie Gill talked about her character, breaking the typecast and more.

Here are excerpts from the conversation:

Tell us about your character in Durgamati.

I play CBI officer Satakshi Ganguly. For me, it was a very different character. I have never played someone like her before. Be it her look or the characterisation, everything was very different, which is why I loved playing her.

When you were offered the script, what about it convinced you to play the part?

I loved the script. Horror-thriller is a genre which I have always found interesting, but never got a chance to explore. So, it was also exciting. Also, my role in the film is very strong.

Did you watch Bhaagamathie?

On the director’s recommendation, I watched Bhaagamathie and really liked it. The actor who played my part in the original did a very good job.

Was playing an officer on your to-do-list?

It was. I always wanted to play a cop. It was very interesting to play the character of a CBI officer. In the film, you would see amazing interrogation scenes between Bhumi and me.

Also, I come from an army background, which helped me a lot in portraying my character.

How was your experience working with Bhumi Pednekar?

She is an amazing person. We had great fun shooting for the film. She is a fabulous actor with such good projects to her credit.

You are usually associated with bold characters. Has this typecast affected the scripts that have been offered to you?

Honestly, yes. Till last year, I was getting roles which were sensuous in nature. I was looking for something different to play because as an actor, I also want to experiment. It got boring for me. But at present, I think I am in the right space. So, right now, I am happy.

Do you think Durgamati will change how people look at you?

I think it will help in breaking the typecast because so far, I am getting a good response for my character.

You have also been part of several OTT projects. Do you think the web space offers more scope for an actor?

I have always said that OTT is the future. There is so much content on it. However, my inclination is towards the theatrical experience. At the same time, for an actor like me, OTT is a good space because I am getting a lot of offers. I also won an award recently for Posham Pa, which wouldn’t have happened in the world of cinema. Having said that, cinema has its own charm. You cannot get over the magic.

Did you think Durgamati would have made for a good theatrical experience?

Durgamati was meant for cinemas. However, right now, people are not comfortable going to cinema halls. Also, during the lockdown, despite the stress, people watched so much content on the OTT platform. So, I think they will really like Durgamati too.

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