Chitrangda Singh recently completed 20 years in the Hindi film industry. And last month, she made her web series debut with filmmaker Neeraj Pandey’s Khakee: The Bengal Chapter.

Ask why it took her so long to foray into this format, and she says, “The script must be really good for web shows, as they have so many characters. Everyone should have a good character arc unlike films, which are spearheaded by just one person.”

The 48-year-old adds, “Unlike films, web shows don’t have the crutches of songs or slow-motion shots. In fact, these days, more time is spent on slow-motion scenes than the actual content in films. Web series, on the other hand, are purely dependent on the script, acting and execution. So, I was always apprehensive about the OTT space. I was offered quite a few series, but I always felt that they weren’t written well enough. That’s one of the reasons I stayed away.”

Chitrangda says that with Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, she found the same freedom and scope for exploration that she did with her debut film, Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2005): “I started my journey in the industry with something very similar. But for some reason, these kinds of roles don’t get written that much. I would love more such work because naturally, I steer towards characters which are more complex, human and flawed. My character in this show also has a strong emotional graph. I found it very interesting to play someone who is struggling with pain, ambition, love and idealism.”

Chitrangda wishes to play more such roles in the web space. “Long formats are ideal if you want to hone your skills. It gives you a lot more time to explore your characters. I have tasted blood now, and I have to look for something that is just as good,” she ends.