'Kadak Singh', starring Pankaj Tripathi, Sanjana Sanghi, Parvathy Thiruvothu and Jaya Ahsan was released on Zee 5 on December 8 2023. This thriller directed by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury is based on the story of an officer of the Department of Financial Crimes as he works to expose a scam but unfortunately ends up losing his memory. The story delves into how his family and acquaintances help him recall his past. Through an intense narrative of a myriad of relationships, a tale of honesty and integrity unfolds in the film.
In this movie, Pankaj Tripathi essays the role of the Financial Crimes officer who is called 'Kadak Singh' by his son and daughter (played by Sanjana Sanghi). Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan plays the role of Pankaj Tripathi's friend Naina with whom he has a relationship which is more than just friendship.
Talking about the film, ABP Live caught up with Jaya Ahsan over a video call where she talked about the film, her character Naina and her experience working with Pankaj Tripathi and Sanjana Sanghi.
'Kadak Singh' being her debut Bollywood movie, Ahsan loved the journey and found the Mumbai work culture very different.
"My hometown is Dhaka, my workplace is Kolkata and this was a film that I did in Mumbai. The work culture is very different and of course, it's more professional. Apart from that, every artist wants to expand her/his horizon, so this was a new area for me as an artist and it was wonderful," she said.
Talking about how different is Tollywood from Bollywood, she said, "In Tollywood or in Dhaka, we do work with lots of love and honesty, whereas in Mumbai, the challenges are bigger, so I found the place a little more professional. But, 'Kadak Singh' is not like a Bollywood mainstream film. With its strong content and a strong team led by Director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, this was a little different kind of a movie."
"The plot is unique, just like any other Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury film. So, this was a very interesting one," she added.
After working in Bengali superhits like 'Dawshawm Awbotaar', 'Bisarjan', and many other movies, where she played strong feminine characters, Jaya shared what made her say 'yes' to 'Kadak Singh'.
She said, "Firstly, of course, the script, which was very engaging and out of the ordinary; and Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury was on my bucket list for a long time and of course Pankaj Tripathi- who would say 'No' to work with him. And, lastly, my character- although it has a small screen presence, it is a very empowering and important role."
Jaya seemed to have a deep connection with her character 'Naina' for she often has been found saying that she wants to be like her. Talking about this, she said, "I want to be like Naina as she is a very empowering character. I found her a very idealistic character, but then again the relationship she had with Kadak Singh, it looks like the 'other woman' but it is not so. The way this character was perceived and their relationship was a bit different. And, I feel relationships can also be like this, instead of always being in some specific brackets."
In addition, she also talked about her experience working with Sanjana Sanghi and Pankaj Tripathi and was indeed all in praise of them.
"Sanjana Sanghi is so good. I have to mention this because she is only a few films old. But, as she portrayed this character, I could feel that she had already got into its skin. And, Pankaj Tripathi... It was a great experience. He is a giving actor basically and he makes every artist so comfortable and so normal that you will never feel that you are standing in front of such a stalwart. I found him a very good human being. We all know about him, but he has got a very artistic soul, because, I think he has got his life journey, which is very important for an artist," she said.
Speaking about the work front, Jaya Ahsan will be next seen in 'Bhootpori', 'Kalantar' and others.