Actor Anupriya Goenka, known for Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Padmaavat (2018) and War (2019), recently revealed that she felt “uncomfortable” during intimate scenes with co-actors on two occasions. “Once, I wouldn’t say he was taking advantage, but an excitement took over. I could see he was getting excited, which is not how it should be. That made me feel violated,” shared the actor last seen in Berlin (2024), adding that both incidents happened during kissing scenes.

In another instance, she recalled, “I expected him to hold my waist, but he almost put his hands on my b**t, which wasn’t required. That didn’t feel right.”

While she didn’t confront him directly, she subtly corrected him. “I moved his hands slightly up and told him to hold there instead. At that moment, I couldn’t question him because he would have just called it a mistake,” she told podcaster Siddharth Kannan.

Speaking about on-screen intimacy, she added, “With kissing scenes, you can kiss softly, but sometimes they just go at you, and that’s too much to take.”

Stepping into Sultan Of Delhi’s world would be a risk, thought Anupriya Goenka, when she was offered the negative role of Shankari. The Tahir Raj Bhasin-led gangster drama also required her to perform intimate scenes. But it was a risk the actor wanted to take, as she firmly believed in the character and in director Milan Luthria.

“This character was a risk because it was positioned in such a way that it involved sensuous scenes. But Milan sir promised me that the character was meaty, and that I was in safe hands. I have always looked for characters that have an arc and are involved in the entire plot. At heart, Shankari is a woman of substance, despite many of her actions being against societal norms,” says Goenka.

The actor brought restraint as well as her own interpretation to the part. “It’s a vamp-ish role, and sometimes our performances are influenced by what we’ve seen on screen. So, [I had] the desire to [approach] the same thing differently.”

In her 10-year career, the actor has been a part of several biggies like Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Padmaavat (2018), and War (2019). She has also played pivotal parts in Criminal Justice, Asur and Aashram. Today, Goenka says she is driven more by her love for acting than the materialistic benefits that the profession brings along.

“Over the past two years, I started exploring new skills, like horse riding and dance classes. The motivation was to fill myself with newer experiences. I have become more unabashed. I want to work with newer voices, but I also want to be part of big projects as they are mounted better.”

Her daughter is sacrificed in the name of greater good, and Naina Nair is out for revenge. It’s a powerful role for any actor, accepts Anupria Goenka, who plays a cyber specialist and wife to Barun Sobti’s character in the mythological thriller, Asur. The first instalment concluded on a cliffhanger, and it has taken the makers close to three years to follow it up with another edition. The actor shares that her “character has become an integral part of the narrative in the second season”.

“The team, including the makers, actors, and crew, have worked hard to take the series [several] notches higher. The writing is more intense and rich. There is a lot that happens in the course of the narrative,” says Goenka of the Oni Sen-directed series.

The second edition of the thriller, which streamed on Jio Cinema recently, has given Goenka’s character more scope to grow. “Naina has more layers. Her conscience is [clear about] right and wrong. She is willing to let go of things for the greater good,” shares the actor, adding that while there were many ways to portray the role, she didn’t want to make Naina mawkish.

“In a thriller, things have to be [quick]. I didn’t want Naina to be a crybaby or distraught. Being an important part of the investigation, [it was important] that she feel her daughter’s loss without verbally expressing [her grief]. Creating a backstory gives more to work from.”

The Arshad Warsi, Sobti, Amey Wagh, and Ridhi Dogra-starrer marks Goenka’s 10th year in the industry. Up next, she has Milan Luthria’s Sultan Of Delhi, Gubbar, Atul Sabharwal’s Berlin, and the action film, Khilone.

She's the long-haired, doe-eyed beauty in the now viral' lesbian ad' for an ethnicwear brand. She has starred in Telugu movies and television commercials. But ask Anupriya Goenka whether she was hesitant about doing this ad, and she quickly replies that it was the very audacity of the thought that had her promptly saying yes to it. She tells us how she came to do the ad, and how she's feeling now. Excerpts:

Did you deliberate for long, before taking up this assignment?
Not at all; it was very prompt. It is a fun, audacious and bold ad, and as an actor, I have always wanted to do varied characters.

Are you straight?
(Laughs) You can quote me on this.'So far, yes.'

What was it about this role that appealed to you?
Though everyone is talking about it as the 'lesbian ad', the way we handled it during the making, I know that it is not only talking about same-sex relationships, but about living-in together, women empowerment, and more. Plus, I am a strong supporter of LGBT rights. I have many homosexual friends, and I believe in their fight. When I realised this ad was inclined towards the lesbian community, I felt a sense of purpose. But yes, when we made it, I had no idea that it would go viral and all.

But it has...
And I am glad about that. We are all talking about trying to bring about change, and there are so many people voicing so many opinions on gay rights issues. I think it's high time Section 377 is overturned. As a society, whether we are willing to admit it or not, we are ready. This ad was also, in a way, about coming out. And I want to say this out loud to the community ­ if because of this ad, someone gets the courage to come out in the open, if someone gets influenced and gets comfortable with who they are, if even one lesbian couple gets encouraged by this ad, I would think we've achieved something.

Was it awkward emoting with a woman, scenes that as an actor you'd usually visualise doing with a man?
Well, it was a bit awkward in the beginning, but then we met up on the set, and once the familiarity of knowing someone came in, it was easy. Of course, I would maintain that as an actor, I must be ready to validate a certain scene on camera. Actually, the first idea was to include a kiss. The director wanted to have two different options to show  -one that included a kiss, and one without it. As it happened, on the first day, by the time we finished the rest of the scenes, we ran short of light and time, and so, decided to do the kiss-wala scene the next day. But when everyone saw the rushes of the first day, they were very happy with the subtlety of the chemistry and the emotional nuances, and decided to stick with this version, and not even try out the one with the kiss.

You speak in Tamil in the ad - was that deliberate?
Yes, it was. It was built into the script, and I practised the lines to get the intonations correct. The idea was to have a girl rooted in a certain kind of background - she had to be from a conservative family, dusky and curly-haired - and contrast it with the one from a different culture. The other girl is a north Indian, you see. And then, in the ad, I have conservative Tamil parents, who are willing to accept such a relationship, who care just for their daughter's happiness. So yes, the Tamil bit in the ad was deliberate.

What about your parents?
Well, I didn't even tell them or ask for their permission before doing this ad. But now, they have seen it and loved it. I come from a traditional Marwari family, but my family is very liberal, and they have been okay with whatever I do.

And boyfriend?
(Laughs) I don't have any right now, but yes, back then, when I was seeing someone, I used to tell him I'd do a homosexual ad if one ever comes my way and he used to freak out.