Akansha Ranjan Kapoor is currently seen as Niki Adhikari in Monica O My Darling. The Vasan Bala directorial venture, which released digitally on November 11, also stars RajKummar Rao, Huma Qureshi and Radhika Apte. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive chat.

Talking about the journey so far, Akansha shares, “My journey has been nicest but rocky, there were so many ups and downs. The ups have been great and the downs, everyone is dealing with them especially since the pandemic. Breaking in was important but it wasn’t easy for me. I am literally switching off from one thing to another.”

Where most of the Hindi films aren’t working commercially this year in theatres, makers are choosing straight to OTT releases. All three projects of Akansha’s were released digitally. Opening up about it, she explains, “I am a very intuitive person when it comes to choosing a script. I have a good understanding of it, if I had fun while reading something, I want to do it. I am in a space of my career at the moment, where I am having fun with my projects. Whatever projects I am doing, they all need to be impactful because one work leads to another.”

She adds, “Consciously, I have knowledge of where I am headed and what I want. I think I am attracting the roles I want to do. I don’t want to play an eye candy or dance around. With Guilty, Ray and Monica O My Darling, it highlights the kind of directors and actors I want to associate with.”

Vasan also directed Akansha in Ray. Talking more on her camaraderie with the filmmaker, she gushes, “I feel so blessed that he chose me not once, but twice. He is crack. When he offered me Ray, I told him that I haven’t followed Satyajit Ray’s work and he told me to come on the sets raw. He is a big cinephile, but Ray didn’t have much noise and Monica O My Darling did. I don’t even watch a quarter of the total amount of world cinema he watches.”

On a concluding note, the actress feels content and elated about the accolades she’s received for her latest release. “I should feel today is much more productive than yesterday. I am happy about the response Monica O My Darling is getting. I am hopefully on the right track,” she signs off.