Coming from a TV background, actress Harshita Gaur’s idea of a lead role was almost set in stone and moving to a web show to portray a sister was not her preferred choice in the initial stage. However, a day before the premiere of Mirzapur season 2, Harshita relishes being part of a web show that has become a phenomenon of sorts. She is really glad that she didn’t refuse Mirzapur in the first go ‘because of her stupidity’ else she would have regretted it big time.
“After being a lead on TV, I wasn’t sure of playing a sister in a web show. After Sadda Haq, I wanted to go for a structure based project and technically my next step should have been films. Also, when I was approached for Mirzapur, Sacred Games hadn’t released and webspace was not what it has become now. But now I realise it is different here, every person in a web show adds a certain value to it,” she tells us.
It was the intriguing plot and the impressive cast that eventually made Harshita say ‘yes’ to the web show. The actress admits to feeling intimidated by the ensemble cast of Mirzapur, which has the likes of Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Rasika Dugal and Shweta Tripathi. “I had seen all of them on the screen so I was a bit intimidated but I was relieved after we began shooting because all of them made me feel at home.”
Harshita, who portrays Dimpy Pandit in the web show, also has a personal connection to Mirzapur, a city in Uttar Pradesh. Her maternal grandfathers hailed from the city and as a kid, she paid frequent visits there. Sharing vivid memories from her childhood, she said, “When I was young, I used to go to Mirzapur during my summer holidays. I have actually seen guns in that home. Only a few years back I got to know that my naani was threatened and she was actually fighting a long due case about some illegal land accusation. It still sends shivers down my spine when I think about it.”
Resonating with her character, Harshita says to watch Dimpy fight lawlessness and injustice in the world of Mirzapur was an investing experience. In season one finale, she lost one of her brothers and best friend and marginally escaped death with her elder brother.
While Dimpy was a naïve girl in the first season, the audience will see a much different side to her in the upcoming season. A glimpse of this was given through a Mirzapur poster which features Harshita with an angry expression and a weapon in her hand. ‘Iss shehar mei kisi ko justice nhi milta hai’, reads the tagline on the poster.
She said, “For Dimpy, this season has been quite conflicting. She strongly believes in her father’s values but she is trying to create her own reality. After her brother and best friend’s death, her principles are intact but her perception of reality is shifting. It will be interesting to gauge the audience’s reaction to my character because Dimpy has evolved to a large extent.”
Before signing off, Harshita assured that the audience will see much more of her in the coming year and shared a tip for Mirzapur fans who are waiting for season 2 restlessly. “Everyone should leave their expectations behind because so much unexpected will happen in the new season. Also, don’t rush to watch the show in one go, one will need time to invest with every character and emotion,” she concluded with a hearty laugh.
The second season of Mirzapur will be streaming from October 23.
