After my look test, I realised I look very much like Priyanka Gandhi: Aahana Kumra

The Lipstick Under My Burkha actor speaks on her Bollywood career and her role as Priyanka Gandhi in The Accidental Prime Minister
After my look test, I realised I look very much like Priyanka Gandhi: Aahana Kumra

Aahana Kumra's upcoming film, Yours Truly, is set to have its world premiere at the prestigious Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) Directed by Sanjoy Nag, the film is a slice-of-life romantic drama co-starring Soni Razdan, Pankaj Tripathi and Mahesh Bhatt. "It was quite unexpected to be selected for BIFF. The film has a beautiful take on Kolkata, which is my favourite city to visit in India. The film is emotionally complex but also very refreshing and lovable," says Aahana.

The 33-year-old actor will also be seen in the upcoming political drama The Accidental Prime Minister, in which she plays Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi. "I had so far done smaller and independent films like Lipstick Under My Burkha and Yours Truly. This is the first film that has such a huge cast and such a massive subject. Luckily for us actors, everything was well organised and researched. When I did my look test for the role, I realised I look very much like Priyanka Gandhi. That gave me the assurance that I could play the part without meeting her in person." 

As an actor committed to meaningful cinema, Aahana agrees that times are changing for the better in Bollywood. "Earlier, all there was for a female actor to do was to look pretty and dance seductively. I didn't see any point in that after going through acting school and learning about world cinema. It felt very humiliating. Today, there's so much more for female actors to do and make a mark. The digital space has also helped to open up the discussion and make producers aware of the unexplored talent that's around. I hope this change in attitude remains and we continue to get substantial work."

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