Mumbai: Actress Arshin Mehta, who is all geared up to play the protagonist in the film ‘The Diary of West Bengal’ shared about the preparation she underwent for her role of Suhasini Bhattacharya.
Arshin’s character is a Hindu Brahmin girl from Bangladesh who takes refuge in West Bengal, India, after seeing the atrocities committed against Hindus in her country.
She underwent several personal challenges to fully immerse herself in the character.
Talking about the same, Arshin, who started her career with ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’ shared: “Since I wanted to stay in character, I embraced Suhasini’s role as a refugee who wouldn’t have had access to luxury. I avoided sitting on chairs and preferred sitting on the ground, staying in my character’s mindset by not talking to anyone much. Suhasini had gone through so much that she was always in her own zone, and I tried to remain in that same zone as well.”
“I made sure to stay in the zone all the time. I would listen to music constantly, avoid talking to anyone, and even after the shoot was over, I would quietly go home and remain in the character’s mindset. It was important for me to stay in that zone to portray Suhasini’s character with honesty and authenticity, so people could truly relate to her,” she said.
Arshin’s role raises her voice as she tries to alert the Human Rights Council, the Government of India, and various ministries to the fact that Hindus in India are not safe either.
She said: “However, upon arriving, she is shocked to discover that the situation for Hindus in Bengal is just as dire as in Bangladesh. This realization is overwhelming for her, especially since she expected to be safe in a Hindu-majority country.”
The ‘Main Rajkapoor Ho Gaya’ fame actress further said: “The movie follows Suhasini’s journey as she struggles against numerous obstacles, including becoming a victim of love jihad. A Muslim man offers her refuge, not revealing that he has spared her life while his friends killed other refugees. Suhasini’s journey of survival and her fight for justice are at the heart of the movie.”
Arshin revealed that her character was extremely intense because of the immense trauma Suhasini endured.
“She witnessed her family being killed, leaving her deeply scarred and unable to live a normal life. Throughout the film, there were many intense scenes, and to do justice to the role, I kept listening to music that would help me stay in character and heighten the emotions needed for the scenes,” she added.
The film is set to hit theaters on August 30.
–IANS