Actress Pahal Samyani has garnered critical acclaim for her role as Shweta, an airhostess who is the sister of the rapist, in the Taapsee Pannu-starrer Assi. She talks to mid-day about her experience on set, landing her Bollywood debut and her disappointment with the film`s poor box-office performance in an exclusive conversation.
`Mukesh Chhabra pushed me to do Assi`
Speaking about how she got into acting, Pahal states that she has been doing theatre since childhood, which fuelled her passion to pursue acting in Bollywood.
The Dubai-born actress said, “Back in Dubai, I used to do theatre since the age of 8 or 9. Since then, I always knew that I wanted to come to Mumbai to pursue a career in acting.”
“And so I came to Mumbai in July 2024. And in December 2024, I did a workshop with casting director Mukesh Chhabra, who is like my mentor. He essentially told me that I should start working with him and help him out in casting, workshops and a whole bunch of things. Since then, he`s actually been the one pushing me for these kinds of roles. He pushed me to do Assi.
Pahal Samyani shares her experience on set
Describing her experience on set as a newcomer, Pahal says, “It was such an overwhelming experience because I was around such talented people like Taapsee Pannu. I was so grateful to be part of an Anubhav Sinha film. But besides them, there were many great actors and newcomers. All of us newcomers used to spend time together, and everybody ensured we had a comfortable experience throughout the shoot.”
Talking about the preparation before shooting, she remarks, “We all used to be talking and discussing all our scenes. We would discuss it with our writer, Gaurav Solanki, as well, and he was a great help. He helped us understand all the facets and nuances of our characters and explained each scene before shooting.”
Pahal shares her displeasure at Assi`s box office failure
When asked about her views on the failure of Assi and whether she feels it will impact her career, Pahal was quick to dismiss the importance of box-office numbers. She admitted she was disappointed as she hoped the film would spark wider conversations about women`s safety and lead to change.
“I am disappointed because the film should reach more people. Numbers are not something that I really care about, as of now. Obviously, it`s my first film, but more than that, I feel so deeply about the issues that this film tackles. As a girl, I was so ready for this subject.”
“I always think, where are we going wrong? My mind cannot comprehend the fact that 80 rapes are reported daily in India. What`s the issue? Why are girls not feeling safe? Is it that hard to ensure women`s safety? These are the thoughts that keep running through my mind.”
“I am so glad that I got to be part of a project that starts these conversations and makes people feel uncomfortable and disgusted that such s*** still happens. It`s horrible. What`s important to me is people watching the film and saying, `We need to do something about this.` I want that to be the main takeaway.”
