Shriya Pilgaonkar reveals her role in Mandala Murders was written post shoot: 'It was an afterthought'

Summary:

• Shriya Pilgaonkar plays Rukmini, a mysterious cult leader, in Mandala Murders, earning praise for her unexpected intensity.

• Despite limited screen time, she chose to audition for the role, which was added after the main shoot wrapped.

• Pilgaonkar sees the role as a turning point, highlighting the importance of perception and positioning in the industry.

Shriya Pilgaonkar's unexpectedly impactful cameo in Mandala Murders has been getting a lot of positive feedback in the week since the series' Netflix debut. In the 1950s Uttar Pradeshi fictitious village of Charandaspur, Pilgaonkar portrays the role of Rukmini, a cult leader and a mysterious woman.

Shriya Pilgaonkar recalls a compliment

In an interview with Mid Day, in particular, the actor remembered a specific praise: "Someone said to me, ‘We didn't think you could scare us.’ I love that. I think people felt that way because I have usually played morally righteous parts."

Even though her involvement is brief (only five scenes total in the eight-part thriller), Pilgaonkar is pleased that it made an impact. The actor said, "I have headlined OTT projects. So, when you think about perception, it’s a gamble to play a role with relatively less screen time. But something about Rukmini was magnetic. Also, less screen time doesn’t make me insecure as an actor. It becomes your responsibility to add weight to the part."

ALSO READ: Mandala Murders review: Vaani Kapoor enters the circle of fear, but the centre doesn’t hold

Rukmini wasn't in original script

Creator Gopi Puthran and series lead Vaani Kapoor finished filming the series two years ago. The role that Pilgaonkar played was not originally written. The actor revealed, "They had finished filming the show two years before. My entire segment was an afterthought. It was not supposed to be part of the season initially. It was conceptualised and written much later."

The part was offered to Pilgaonkar, but she chose to audition instead. She recalled, "Gopi sir and I tried exploring Rukmini because the scenes were being developed at that point. He lit the scene beautifully. Even though I knew they wanted me for the part, I wanted to audition so that everyone could rest assured that I was capable of pulling it off."

Learning about character positioning

The actor believes that after seeing how Puthran placed her character in the story, she is now more aware of the ways in which characters are constructed and portrayed. She went on to say, "No matter how good one may be at their craft, it is an industry of perception, and positioning plays a huge role in your trajectory. I am focusing more on films now because it’s easy for people to bracket us as OTT actors. I want to focus on work that will project me in an exciting way. You need strong positioning and mounting."

In Mandala Murders, Rukmini is a minor role; yet, for Pilgaonkar, she represents a turning point at the intersection of performance, projection, and perception.

FAQs

Q: What role does Shriya Pilgaonkar play in Mandala Murders?

A: Shriya Pilgaonkar plays Rukmini, a mysterious cult leader in the fictional town of Charandaspur, set in 1950s Uttar Pradesh.

Q: Was Shriya Pilgaonkar’s character part of the original Mandala Murders script?

A: No, her character was added later. Shriya revealed that her segment was conceptualised and written after the series had wrapped filming.

Q: How many scenes does Shriya Pilgaonkar have in Mandala Murders?

A: She appears in about five scenes, but her cameo has been widely praised for its lasting impact.