Bestseller actress Gauahar says Saif Ali Khan is receiving his due because of OTT
India Today
Gauahar Khan, who will soon be seen in Amazon Prime Video's Bestseller, was last seen in Saif Ali Khan-starrer Tandav. In an exclusive chat, the actress spoke about how Saif Ali Khan has never been appreciated the way he is being appreciated now.
Gauahar Khan, who was last seen in Tandav, is geared up for her next, Bestseller, on Amazon Prime Video. She plays Mayanka, who heads an ad agency and is married to Arjan Bajwa's character in the series. In an exclusive chat with IndiaToday.in, Gauahar Khan spoke about how her character moves the series forward, trolls, and how digital medium gave actors like Saif Ali Khan their due.
Bestsellers is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on February 18. Speaking about her character in the series, Gauahar Khan said, "I play Mayanka, which I think is a very interesting name. She is a person who has to deal with her professional and personal life differently. In her personal life, she is a naive, vulnerable wife, who wants to keep her husband happy. She wants to give him confidence in his work while he is dealing with failures and problems. And in her workspace, she is the complete opposite. She is a go-getter, a strong-headed leader of sorts. She leads an advertising company. So, her contrasting personalities, I think that is very interesting to watch in Bestseller. And how she deals with it when everyone's lives get intertwined."
Gauahar was one of the first ones to be roped in for Bestsellers. Siddharth P Malhotra had sent her the script when they were just in the writing stage. "Siddharth told me that he really wanted me to do Mayanka and started sending me the scripts. As in when the episodes kept coming to me, I thought Mayanka was a very very important and integral part of how the story moves forward. The impact that it has on Mayanka's life and the contribution that Mayanka makes to the story going forward (is immense). The way I see Bestseller is 5 to 6 people's parallel life stories and how they are completely in connection with each other, making it even more complex. And Mayanka is a key factor in that," she added.
In the Bestseller trailer, a troll is seen threatening Arjan Bajwa's character, which affects the lives of the characters. However, in real life, Guauahar Khan doesn't get affected by trolls anymore. She said, "There was a time when it used to affect me, but with time I have realised that they are not really real people. It's just trolling machinery who wants to get after you for some reason. Their opinion doesn't make a difference to my life. They will probably give a few abuses and go away and feel great about their lives. But actually, I feel bad for them."
When asked if she ever faced any crazy fans, she said that all her fans are amazing, 'nicest people' and she calls them 'my crazy lot'. "But if you are asking about any crazy incident, well I was attacked in broad daylight. but that's something that everybody knows and I'd like to forget that," she added.
Speaking about digital medium opening avenues for actors, Gauahar said, "I think OTT has opened so many arenas, not just for actors but all kinds of technicians, screenplay writers, musicians. And the kind of scripts being written and the right kind of actor being cast, that's why the actors who are known to be credible actors are getting the opportunities that probably before they would not. It's so great to see the likes of Dimple Kapadia or Mithun da or Tigmanshu Dhulia. So many people are doing such great work. I think Saif Ali Khan has never been appreciated the way he is being appreciated now. I think it's great."
Valentine's Day is just around the corner. Sharing her plans for V-Day, she quipped, "Honestly, no plans yet. But I hope Zaid is planning some surprise for me. There are a few days left so I also have to start planning something."