It has been a beautiful pause, says Bollywood actress Flora Saini

Raghib Hassan, Staff Reporter

Bollywood actress Flora Saini looks cheerful and radiant as usual and is bubbling with positivity. The lockdown has not at all dampened her outlook towards life; rather she wakes up every morning to the chirping of birds, which she said had never ever heard because of the hustle and bustle of the city. She is also enjoying delicious home-made food. Meanwhile, the humble diva is all excited about her upcoming web series “Aarya,” which is to be released this Friday. “Aarya” has already created a buzz much before its release for many good reasons. Ram Madhvani is back in the director’s chair after the unprecedented success of “Neerja.” He is also bringing back former Miss Universe Sushmita Sen on the screen after her long absence. Flora, who has done more than 50 films in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, and lots of web series so far, also got accolades for her work in “Stree,” “Fraud Saiyaan,” and “Darbaan.”

In an exclusive interview with Gulf Today, Flora speaks about her upcoming projects, lockdown experiences, her fascination for “shayari” (poetry) and much more:

How are you managing during the lockdown? What is the most challenging part for being a star in the lockdown period?

I think and I know for sure I am very responsibly staying at home. If at all I step out to get the essentials, I wear my mask and gloves, use a sanitiser and follow social distancing. I don’t think anybody is a star during the lockdown. We all are helps of the house. We are cleaning, helping, washing and cooking. Actually we are doing our daily chores efficiently to our best. Actually we are doing it in a much better fashion than anybody else doing for us.

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Did you discover anything new while staying at home for so long?

I live right on the main road, so the first thing we discovered was that we have so much beauty around us. We could get up to the sound of chirping of birds once the lockdown starts. Even our sleep has improved so much because there is lesser noise, lesser pollution. I think nature has taken a pause. It has got time to revive. It has been a beautiful pause where the nature has taken its time to revive itself. We are breathing better and fresher air.

Tell us something about your upcoming web series?

My upcoming web series is ‘Aaryaa.’ It is releasing on June 19. It has Sushmita Sen. And it has family, drama, crime, thriller, you name it and it has. Ram Madhvani has directed it. It is one series I am really excited about.

 Bollywood actress Flora Saini.

What difference do you see between shooting for films and those for the web series?

I don’t see much of a difference. For an actor, be it in films or web series or television, I think the medium on which your work is shown is important. We are just actors and we just have to enact the lines given to us. I don’t think a medium makes any difference to our acting.

What is one thing you would like to do once the lockdown is over?

I would like to go and meet my friends and that’s what I would like to do. I think my mom is cooking excellent food, she has started cooking restaurant-quality food through YouTube. Food is not something I am missing, but yes I am missing my friends to see them in person.

How did you find working in the Bengali web series?

Shooting for the Bengali web series was a lot of fun. My father was in the Indian Army and he was posted in Calcutta for some time, so Bangla was not new to me but luckily for me I had a character, who comes from Bihar to Calcutta, therefore, I did not have to speak a lot of Bangla. I could go away with a little bit of Hindi and a little bit of Bangla, but it was a great experience. I think they are so thorough with their craft that they make the frame look gorgeous. I wish I could go back and do a couple of more series.

For the Red Land web series, you had to travel to Varanasi. How did you find the city?

Yes, for “Red Line” web series we had to travel to Varanasi. That was the first time I had visited the city. I got to see the famous Assi Ghat for the first time and the Arti that happens in the morning was breathtaking. I had no words to describe that. It is a beautiful place, which has the old, traditional and antique vibes to it. And of course, the Ganga. The place has something in the air.

How do you pick subjects while you decide to work on any film?

Whenever I get the script I read it like a book and if I can finish it without stopping it in a day or two then it means the script has the power to move. I think that’s what holds for me. Also when I read the script, I try to visualise in into a movie and if I enjoy myself in that then it is a go-ahead for me. Or if I feel as an audience that I would like to watch this film even though I am not a part of this, then it is a yes for me.

Bollywood actress Flora Saini looks cheerful and radiant as usual and is bubbling with positivity. The lockdown has not at all dampened her outlook towards life; rather she wakes up every morning to the chirping of birdsI have a special love for “shayari,” not poetry so much. People can express their thoughts in only a few words better than you is what “shayari” does beautifully. That’s the magic of words. That’s why I have a special love for words.