Only months after she played the rich brat in the second season of Masaba Masaba, Barkha Singh slips into the role of a millionaire’s daughter in Maja Ma. But one can be assured that the two roles are as different as chalk and cheese. Anand Tiwari’s directorial venture sees Singh’s character gear up for a big, fat wedding with her boyfriend, essayed by Ritwik Bhowmik. However, the shaadi is called off after a video featuring Pallavi, played by Madhuri Dixit-Nene, goes viral.

“It is a sensitive story told humorously,” says Singh of the Amazon Prime Video movie that also stars Gajraj Rao and Rajit Kapur. In narrating the journey of the devoted homemaker Pallavi, the director throws light on women’s quest for their identity.

“When we go out and work, we have an identity. But most homemakers in our country struggle to find themselves. The film [addresses] that in a non-preachy way. In the end, we let the audience decide whether it is wrong or right.”

If standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Dixit was a matter of pride for Singh, bringing Tiwari’s vision alive was sheer joy. She credits the director for etching each character with care. “He makes the effort to sit with his actors to develop their characters. He allows them their space, while also [nudging them] in the right direction,” she states.

Going forward, the actor, who has played a string of girl-next-door roles, hopes to bag some “dark, gruesome” characters. “I would also like to play a cop some day, mainly because it goes against my image,” she smiles.