Khushalii Kumar gave it her all — physically, mentally and emotionally — while shooting for Starfish. The intense experience left her exhausted and even questioning her decision to sign the film. The actor says, “While shooting [for the film], it was freezing and everyone was wearing jackets and I was in a dress, ready to jump in the water. It was challenging. At one point when I was shooting the underwater scenes, I came out of the water and said, ‘What kind of script did I choose?’ After it was over, I was relieved ki khatam hogya (laughs).”

However, working on this project left her elated: “I felt happy, because after every shot, everyone on set would clap and that was another level of encouragement. I miss those days now.”

Playing the role of a commercial diver in the film, the 34-year-old felt that getting into Tara’s character “was a process” and it took time to leave it behind. “I became Tara! It was scary. When you play a certain character, you get trapped in that zone,” she shares, adding, “It takes strength to train your mind to detach [from that character], but that’s the journey of an actor.”

The Ghudchadi (2022) actor took a break after she wrapped up the shoot to help her move on from Tara. “I travelled, read and engaged in activities to distract myself. I couldn’t leave myself in that situation for a long time,” Kumar ends.