Amrita Puri: Tough to balance visibility with quality work

Mumbai, Jan 26  Amrita Puri’s debut Bollywood role in the 2010 release Aisha got her noticed, and although she has been applauded for her performances in films like Kai Po Che! and Judgementall Hai Kya since then, she has largely remains underrated.

Amrita has once again garnered positive reviews and audience applause for her role in the new web series, Jeet Ki Zid. Taking a pragmatic line, the actress says it is tough to find a balance between quality and quantity in the Hindi film industry.

“I think it is tough to maintain visibility with quality work. Quantity wise, it is possible. If we look at the kind of work that is out there, even on OTT platforms, most of the stories are male-centric, where the part of a female character is not quite unique and well written. So to find a space where you get to play a character that satisfies an actor like me is limited. I think that space needs to be expanded, so that actors like me, who try to find the balance of quality and quantity, can become visible. Having said that, I see the scene is changing and that is why I bagged a role like Jaya in ‘Jeet Ki Zid’,” Amrita told IANS.

In the web series ‘Jeet Ki Zid’, she plays Jaya Singh, wife of Indian Army Special Forces officer Deependra Singh Sengar (played by Amit Sadh). Her character revolves around how she motivates Deep to overcome physical and emotional challenges and bounce-back in life once he comes back wheelchair-bound from the Kargil War.

Asked about her criteria of choosing a project, Amrita replied: “For me, it is about the opportunity to perform as an actor (that matters). So, it is not like I am visible in an entire film as an arm candy, doing nothing. Rather I would go for one episode in a big web series, like the one I did in ‘Made In Heaven’ or even in ‘Four More Shorts Please!’. I did not play a lead in these shows but I found the characters interesting and impactful.”

The Zee 5 show Jeet Ki Zid, directed by Vishal Mangalorkar, also features Sushant Singh, Ali Goni, Mrinal Kulkarni, and Gagan Randhawa.

(Arundhuti Banerjee can be contacted at arundhuti.b@ians.in)