(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Jan 24 (IANS) Actress Aarvika Gupta, who is currently seen playing Champa in the newly released webseries“Chidiya Udd”, in which she plays a sex-wroker, said that she shot in real Kamathipura locations, which helped her understand her character's emotions.

Throwing more light on her role Aarvika says:”I had auditioned for this series a long time ago through a casting agency. After the audition, I forgot about it as I didn't hear back. Then one day, I got a call from Omkar Ji of Baweja Studios, asking if I was ready to play the character I auditioned for.”

“I was so excited because the role was very challenging, that of an HIV-positive, drug-addicted prostitute who is on the verge of death, experiencing multiple emotions. As an actor, you always look for such challenges to prove yourself and deliver something impactful to the audience. So, I immediately said yes.”

Talking about how she prepped for her role, she said:“Honestly, I didn't know how to prepare for such a role. But once I changed my look through makeup, felt the character through costumes, and shot in the real Kamathipura locations, I naturally started to feel Champa's emotions. Shooting Kamathipura was an experience which I will never forget.”

“Most of the scenes were shot in the real locations of Kamathipura, where we got a close look at the lives of prostitutes. We even saw people living that life while filming there. I stayed in the moment and played the role authentically.”

The actress said that if she had prepared in advance, it wouldn't have felt as real.

“What I felt on set and in the look was genuine. And Director Ravi Jadhav was my guiding light throughout the shooting.”

She added:”To look weak and portray an HIV-positive person, I avoided eating and drinking water on set until my pack-up. My throat would stay dry, and I'd genuinely feel weak and restless something that reflected on my face.”

She said she also avoided laughing much as she wanted to stay in the character.

“However, I truly enjoyed the shoot and learned that when you are hungry for good work, you can put everything aside and focus solely on perfecting your role.”

Was she conscious of not doing any bold scenes in Chidiya Udd?

She says,”I didn't have any bold scenes because my character was HIV-positive and in a dying condition. In fact, after receiving the brief, I didn't even think about bold scenes. As an actor, it's essential to know your do's and don'ts. With the variety of content being made today, it's up to you to decide how far you want to go. I make sure to choose roles and content that my parents can proudly watch.”

MENAFN24012025000231011071ID1109124920