Kerala-born British actor Varada Sethu on playing a rebel in ‘Star Wars’ show ‘Andor’

Actor Varada Sethu speaks about her experience filming the ‘Star Wars’ TV series ‘Andor,’ on sharing drinks with Stellan Skarsgård, and working in Malayalam cinema

Back in 2012, Varada Sethu used to shuttle between Bristol, where she was studying, and London to play a part in her first Malayalam movie, Shyamaprasad’s English: An Autumn in London (2013). Today, the Kerala-born British actor plays the ruthless rebel Cinta Kaz in the Star Wars show Andor, starring Mexican actor Diego Luna and featuring Stellan Skarsgård, Forrest Whitaker, Fiona Shaw, and Andy Serkis.

With Luna playing Cassian Andor, who will one day become the cold-blooded rebel spy Captain Andor from Rogue One (2016), the series explores his rise from a selfish opportunistic thief to a rebel leader in our favourite imperial galaxy far, far away.

Apart from being part of such a huge franchise, Varada and her co-star Faye Marsay have made history for essaying probably the first significant queer characters in the Star Wars movieverse. However, at a time when representation is often used as a selling point for a movie or show, eventually othering the community being represented, makers of Andor made sure that their characters’ sexual orientation is just a small part of their complex personas.

In fact, the show has stunned viewers and critics alike with its grounded, layered and subtle portrayal of life and politics in a fascist empire.

Varada spoke to The Hindu in-depth on the show’s politics, her fascinating character and her work in Malayalam cinema.

I thought it was going to be like The Mandalorian. But Tony Gilroy, who is brilliant and is the showrunner, asked me to forget all about Star Wars during our initial discussions. This is a spy thriller. It’s a story about a revolution, and how Cassian’s character can go from someone who isn’t politically not that swayed to becoming the captain in Rogue One. It’s a world full of wars and spies, and it just so happens to be set in the Star Wars universe. But this isn’t a Star Wars show. That’s what he kept saying.

I think, shows aren’t political enough. So, this is incredibly courageous. The first time I read the script I cried. I felt that this is going to be such a special show. It was so beautifully written. Sometimes you read a good script and you are not sure how they will execute it. But this, as far as I have seen, they have done justice to every single word on the page. I don’t think it’s too political.