Waluscha De Sousa has been facing the camera for decades as a successful model. But her transition from modelling to acting has not been easy. From making her acting debut with Fan (2016) to her web debut with Crackdown, De Sousa is happy to explore distinct roles as she works towards gaining a foothold in the industry. In a chat with mid-day, she discusses the highs and lows of showbiz, and why she picked up Disney+ Hotstar’s latest series, Escaype Live.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

My acting debut was with Fan [2016]. Despite it coming from a huge production house and featuring a superstar, the audience didn’t accept the film. Post that, the work that came my way didn’t excite me. The roles usually didn’t have anything for me to display as an actor. So, I took a sabbatical. Fortunately, the digital space opened up by then. I made my OTT debut with Crackdown [2020]. I don’t think viewers expected me to play such a role. I took a gamble, and it paid off.

Prior to Crackdown, it was difficult to stay true to who I am. I had my fair share of being told that things are not going to work out for me. But all I needed was an opportunity. I never shied away from auditioning for roles. There were preconceived notions, ‘Oh, she was a model’, ‘She is a gori’ and so on. They never bothered to ask me where I was born and brought up. Sometimes, I walk into a meeting, and they ask me if I can converse in Hindi. Fighting these preconceived notions is exhausting.

100 per cent. The roles were all about being glamorous or someone’s arm candy. I knew what I had to offer as an actor. I have to thank Apoorva Lakhia [director] for taking that chance with me and giving me Garima Kalra [her character in Crackdown], which displayed my potential.

I was aware that casting for the social thriller was going on. Director Siddharth Kumar Tewary called me [for the narration]. It was a new concept, [tackling] a scenario we are all facing in our relationship with social media. My character Gia Bose is someone who calls the shots, and is a woman in a man’s world. I wanted to play someone in charge, which is so unlike me in real life. I am quiet and reserved, but it was nice to call the shots on the set. At one point, my co-stars asked me if I am going to keep ordering them around [even when the cameras aren’t rolling].

I am a private person. I don’t have a social media game, and don’t think much when I’m putting out a post. They are usually related to my work. There are actors who are good at juggling acting and being active on social media. But I want to [demarcate whether] I am an influencer or an actor. I prefer to stay relevant with my work rather than my social media posts.

A lot of apps have an age restriction, but there needs to be a better [distinction than age]. In the past three years, our relationship with social media has intensified. There was nothing else to do besides be online during the lockdown. The unfortunate part is even schools went online. Whether you liked it or not, your child had to have a phone, and laptop. I remember calling my grandmother on Zoom, something she has never done in her life.

While she understands the need for the junta curfew in the state in this moment of crisis, Shweta Tripathi Sharma says the artiste in her is itching to go back to the set. She was shooting for the technological thriller, Escaype Live, in Varanasi till mid-April before the rising cases in Uttar Pradesh made the unit do a rethink.

“It was 40 degrees when we were shooting there. As actors, it has been physically and emotionally draining because we can’t wear masks [in front of the camera]. We shot for barely two days, after which Siddharth Kumar Tewary [creator-director] decided to postpone the shoot because human lives matter more. The fear of COVID was constantly playing on our minds,” says the actor, who shares screen space with South star Siddharth in the 10-part web series that examines the dark side of social media.

Directors Tewary and Abhishek Sengupta had kicked off the shoot last December in Umbergaon. After the first leg progressed smoothly, a 12-day Benares schedule was drawn up. Tripathi reveals that the first four days were dedicated to workshops, post which they began filming while adhering to stringent safety norms. “On set, we maintained social distancing, and there was constant sanitisation. The DoP [Vishal Sinha] ensured that actors didn’t touch anything while filming a scene. For a cafe sequence, I had to pick up a glass from the table. But he asked me to do away with that gesture, thus minimising the risk.”

After foraying into digital entertainment with The Final Call in 2019, actor-dancer Jaaved Jaaferi is gearing up for his next with Siddharth Kumar Tewary's tech thriller titled, Escaype Live.

"In the current technological climate, Escaype Live dives deep into the minds of young Indians to reflect the impact it has on their lives. It is conceptually a gripping and relevant idea," says the actor, who made his Bollywood debut with Meri Jung in 1985.

What drew Jaaferi, 56, to the series is the unpredictability of his character. "My character is layered and not simply black or white. It has tremendous potential and the process of discovering it as we go along has been great," says the actor, who will be seen sharing screen space with Siddharth, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Waluscha De Sousa, Plabita Borthakur and Swastika Mukherjee. "Working with all these versatile and committed talents across the board has been truly incredible and insightful," he adds.

Currently being shot in Umbergaon, the series follows the lives of five individuals, who are desperately trying to alter their mundane lives in the promise of overnight fame and fortune on a live-streaming app. The series explores the suspended reality of the internet and its impact on an emerging digital Bharat.

As much as she would like to bask in the success of the second season of Mirzapur, Shweta Tripathi Sharma's date diary doesn't give her the opportunity. The actor has to dive into the make-believe world of Escaype Live that rolls in Umbergaon later this month. Evidently unwilling to let go of her character in the popular crime drama, she begins the chat saying, "I am excited to see where Golu [Gupta] goes from here. Her life can never be normal after what happened in the last two seasons."

For now though, Tripathi has to trade the lanes of Mirzapur for the dark world of social media. She teams up with South actor Siddharth for the 10-part technological thriller, which follows five youngsters as they attain overnight stardom on a live-streaming app. "When I heard this story, I knew it was brilliant. It's like Black Mirror; it [studies] how social media affects people psychologically and emotionally. We are exploring the good, bad and ugly side of social media. The Netflix film, The Social Dilemma, points out how we have become a commodity in this technology-driven world. We are influencers, but are also being influenced. If we are not cautious, we will lose sight of reality." The series marks her reunion with director Abhishek Sengupta after the second season of Laakhon Mein Ek.

Tripathi adds that through one of its tracks, the show wonderfully explores an unconventional romance. "We will delve into the subject of falling in love with a transgender man. The writing is so sensitive that it will make people look beyond class, caste and gender, and appreciate the human qualities in them. For me, messaging is important in a story."

After making his Hindi movie debut with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Rang De Basanti (2006), Siddharth has charted his Bollywood career judiciously, cherry-picking only two projects — Chashme Baddoor (2013) and Leila (2019) — in the interim. Now, the South star is set to return to Hindi entertainment with the 10-part tech thriller, Escaype Live. The web series, created by TV producer Siddharth Kumar Tewary, traces five youngsters who use a popular live-streaming app that promises overnight fame and fortune, in a bid to escape their mundane lives.

Through its protagonists, the show — written and co-directed by Tewary — explores the impact of the internet and social media on the youth. "I pick projects that I instinctively relate to; the script has to move me. Siddharth and Abhishek Sengupta [co-director] have built the story such that it honestly depicts Indian youth's affinity to the internet. I am excited about the scope of the show and how it will present me to the Hindi audience," says the actor.

The series, which will eventually be sold to a digital platform, is slated to go on floors mid-October at Swastik Bhoomi Studio in Umbergaon. Though he understands that shooting amid the Coronavirus pandemic comes with its share of responsibilities, Siddharth is happy to dive into work. "We need to do our bit while ensuring that we adopt every necessary safety protocol," he states.