‘We feel strongly about so much injustice that is out there in the world. For us, it is very important that we take away this word called ‘victim’ and make something out of it. I want to celebrate survivors, always.’
IMAGE: Fatima Sana Shaikh and Aneet Padda at the Hunkkaar trailer launch. Photograph: Panna Bandekar
Key Points
- Nitya Mehra and Karan D Kapadia direct social drama Hunkkaar starring Aneet Padda, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Zeeshan Ayyub, Raghubir Yadav and Zoya Hussain.
- Fatima, who portrays a police officer for the first time in her career, said the unsung heroes of society deserve our respect and we should celebrate them.
- Raghubir Yadav, who plays a negative role in Hunkkaar, mentions that the role made him uncomfortable and that was precisely what drew him to the show.
‘Insaaf chahiye, character certificate nahi.’
That is the tagline Hunkkaar: The Roar chooses to lead with.
At the trailer launch on Thursday afternoon, the show made sure the mood was just as sombre.
Aneet Padda, who plays 17-year-old Meenu Rawat in the film, appeared on stage in a pitch-dark room, surrounded by a single spotlight. Very softly, she began reading a poem about a young girl finding the courage to stand up against injustice.
‘Hunkar lalkar nahi, dabe hue aawaz ka pehla swar hai (Hunkkaar is not a battle cry, but the first note of a suppressed voice)’ — One of the hard-hitting lines from her poem captures the spirit of the show beautifully.
WATCH: Aneet Padda’s moving poem
Video: Afsar Dayatar/Rediff
The lines feel apt for Hunkkaar, which follows Meenu after she accuses a powerful cult leader, Baapji, of sexual assault. The trailer shows what happens after a survivor speaks. The drama then expands into a battle involving the police, the courtroom and the media.
Nitya Mehra, who co-directs Hunkkaar with her husband Karan D Kapadia, described the title in exactly those terms.
“Hunkkaar is our battle cry,” she said.
“We feel strongly about so much injustice that is out there in the world. For us, it is very important that we take away this word called ‘victim’ and make something out of it. I want to celebrate survivors, always. And that’s what we are here to do.
Aneet Padda Plays Meenu
IMAGE: Aneet Padda at the Hunkkaar trailer launch. Photograph: Panna Bandekar
There is an interesting bit of timing around Aneet’s casting.
She shot Hunkkaar before last year’s blockbuster Saiyaara, when she was still relatively new. The series now arrives after she has become one the most talked-about young actors in Hindi cinema.
Hunkkaar becomes an unusual second introduction of sorts.
“I was quite young when I auditioned,” Aneet said.
The actor said she was 19 when she shot the series and turned 20 during the process.
“The show tackles a very powerful and sensitive topic for somebody so young to fully understand. But that was perfect for the character because she was 17. Something terrible happened to her. She possibly couldn’t even articulate it to herself, let alone the world. Yet, she had to do it.”
The age gap between actor and character was small enough to help rather than hinder her.
“The more I was reading the script, the more I kept on feeling like ‘Am I lying?’ This is because all the other perspectives are so strong that it’s almost making me question myself.”
“You may start questioning your own truth when you hear so much about it from other people. There’s an over-saturation of perspective where people are like, ‘Oh, you should have done this’ or, You should have said that’.”
For Aneet, that became the heart of Hunkkaar.
“Not only does it talk about this specific story but also discusses the universal aspect of what we experience in day-to-day life as human beings,” she said.
Fatima Sana Shaikh Stands With Truth
IMAGE: Fatima Sana Shaikh and Aneet Padda at the Hunkkaar trailer launch. Photograph: Panna Bandekar
Fatima Sana Shaikh plays ACP Jasleen Singh Soni, the police officer investigating the case. Unlike the familiar cop character who enters and takes charge, the trailer positions Jasleen as Meenu’s ally.
“This character helped me challenge my cynicism about the system. That’s because we often think that the system is completely at fault, and that’s exactly what I used to think,” she said.
While preparing for the role, Fatima said she met officers across different ranks, and those conversations changed her perspective.
“I realised that the system is formed by individuals; it is not collective. Maybe that’s why we often generalise it as bad. But there are some people who are fighting for the truth and there are some people who want to protect us. They deserve our respect and we should celebrate them.”
WATCH: Fatima Sana Shaikh explains an actor’s challenge
Video: Afsar Dayatar/Rediff
The Hunkkaar trailer also introduces Zeeshan Ayyub as lawyer Bhalerao, the underdog legal voice who takes up Meenu’s case. The narrative thus moves from the police station to the courtroom, with the media becoming another battleground.
“When I read the script, I realised that when abuse happens to somebody, the people around them often behave in a way that makes them feel like their life is over. This show actually challenges that notion, which I found commendable. This idea got me excited, and I was like, ‘I have to do this show’,” Zeeshan Ayyub said.
Raghubir Yadav Turns Sinister!
Raghubir Yadav’s casting as Baapji is perhaps the trailer’s most intriguing choice. He has spent decades playing characters who can be funny and warm, but here, this show positions him differently.
Yadav said he likes feeling uncomfortable while playing a character, and had been waiting for a role that would challenge him as an actor. Hunkkaar finally gave him that opportunity.
His role in Hunkkaar, he admitted, made him uncomfortable, but that was precisely what drew him to the show.
As he spoke, Aneet and Fatima listened to him intently. At one point, Aneet even broke into applause, responding to her senior co-star’s heartfelt thoughts on an actor’s willingness to push themselves.
WATCH: Raghubir Yadav on playing Hunkkaar‘s villain
Video: Afsar Dayatar/Rediff
Priyanka Chopra Jonas Backs The Team
IMAGE: Zeeshan Ayyub, Raghubir Yadav, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Aneet Padda, and Zoya Hussain at the Hunkkaar trailer launch. Photograph: Panna Bandekar
The launch got a surprise when Priyanka Chopra Jonas, who serves as executive producer on the show, appeared on screen with a message for the Hunkkaar team.
She could not attend the launch but sent a video message, apologising for her absence and congratulating the team.
She praised the ensemble of Aneet Padda, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Zeeshan Ayyub and Raghubir Yadav, and described Hunkkaar as a ‘powerful’ and ‘timely’ story.
Hunkkaar: The Roar streams on JioHotstar from September 25.
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