Chitrangda Singh is having a great start to the year. It began with Khakee: The Bengal Chapter this week and is currently shooting for the Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Raat Akeli Hai 2. The Honey Trehan directorial venture is the sequel to the critically acclaimed 2020 film. The first instalment was a taut murder mystery that kept audiences guessing until the end.

While details about the sequel remain under wraps, Singh teases, “The world of Raat Akeli Hai is dark and twisted, and this time, we’re taking things a notch higher. Expect more intrigue and secrets.”

The actor claims that the role is so intense that it often takes time to get in and out of it. Singh shares that sometimes music helped her get into the zone. “It’s the first time that I’ve felt I don’t want to be on set because the story consumes you until you are done. It does take a toll on you as you’ve been in that zone. Sometimes certain kinds of music [helped me] get into it and stay [there],” she explained.

Singh shares that she is thrilled to break the stereotype and experiment with characters that people least expect from her. She refused to bend to the pressure and play bold characters. When asked how she managed to break into the male-dominated business, Singh says that she doesn’t like to “cry woman” when she doesn’t get her way.

“If you’re trying to get into a level-playing field, you have to be ready to give that much. Your work should speak for it, not your gender. You can’t have [success] faster just because you’re a woman. I’m all for equal opportunities. Talent doesn’t have gender. [Playing the] woman card is embarrassing because you are in a male-dominated world and you know it’s the fight,” she adds.

In the Netflix series, Chitrangda Singh plays a fierce leader of the opposition. “Her transformation into becoming her own person has been a joy to play. I don’t think I am like that. So, it doesn’t come easy for me. The writing tackled most of it,” shares Singh.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui is currently consumed by the world created by filmmaker Honey Trehan. Five years after their maiden collaboration, Raat Akeli Hai, the duo is reuniting for the sequel of the thriller drama. The actor, who plays a cop in the film, informs us, “We have been shooting for it over the last two months. We have five more days of shoot left.”

Taking a day out from the shoot to attend the second edition of the Cinevesture International Film Festival, Siddiqui shares the challenges of being part of Trehan’s film.

“You can’t enjoy [yourself] in a Honey Trehan film,” he quips, adding, “He sets up difficult tasks for you. However, if you are able to do it, you leave the audience mighty impressed. Honey deliberately adds new dimensions to the characters in the script without telling you. That’s his process. It is such a wonderful discovery for an actor,” Siddiqui smiles.

While he is thrilled with the opportunities of diverse characters coming his way, he laments at the current state of Hindi cinema. The actor has realized that post the pandemic, the audience’s taste in movies has completely changed.

“It saddens me. It feels like we have regressed. Before the pandemic, small and medium-budget films were at least releasing in theatres and people were stepping out to watch them. Now, only lavishly-mounted films have space on the big screen. It’s a big loss for medium-budget films,” he says, adding that the box office collection has become a huge pull for the audience to give a film a chance. He recounts that this was not a practice before. “If someone said, ‘That actor gave a terrific performance,’ we all would be compelled to go and watch the film because we were curious about performances,” he explains.

Siddiqui, who has grown up watching films, including Ek Doctor Ki Maut (1990), Sparsh (1980) and Ardh Satya (1983), feels that ever since people have begun consuming content on mobile screens, the impact an in-depth performance brings is lost. “I might be wrong but I believe you won’t understand [in-depth] acting today even on the big screen because it’s lost in event films,” he expresses.

Besides Raat Akeli Hai, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is also shooting for Costao, based on the life of customs officer Costao Fernandez, produced by Bhanushali Studios. “It’s the story of a customs officer and what all he goes through. It’s a human drama,” he shares.