Interview: I’ve been a shy person but OTT helped me come out of the cocoon, says Regina Cassandra

Q. “Hame tankhwa zaroor milti hai magar yeh naukri nahin hai…” Isn’t that a beautiful line?

A. This was just a line for a character up until I met Kiran Bedi from whom I understood how much a sacrifice a woman makes when she joins the Forces.

A female police officer has a lot more at stake than a male officer does, all thanks to gender. Once you give a commitment to joining the Forces and prioritising your country, it is not a mere job but becomes a selfless decision.

Also, I spoke to the Commissioner of Police in Delhi on an issue like ego. It is surprising and interesting to see how modest these two police officers are.

The popular dialogue from ‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’. (Zee5India/Twitter)

They don’t have this ego that “I am protecting you, the State and I have accomplished so much”. When you see them, you can’t tell that these women have gone on missions where they killed people.

When this is not the case with men (if not all); not to put anyone down or patronise anyone, but I am making this observation as a citizen of this country. I was really happy that is where this comes in, this line. It is so true.

Q. Government jobs do have certain benefits and they are so helpful to families.

A. Police or Army is a government job; it does take care of their families and offers benefits. People join the Forces for this reason.

But, as time progresses, the mindset changes. At the end of the day, it is not a nine-to-five job.

Kavya Iyer has to tread her own battles at home and at work – the police services. It is now inclusive but there are still places where women have issues.

She has to navigate that at home to be a daughter, mother, sister, and wife.

It is interesting to play such a role where you need to be pragmatic and progressive and practical at work. Further, you need to bring out reforms without letting our gender come in the way.

Iss kahani mein hai khatra har mukaam pe,
parr desh ke liye marr mitne ko hai tayyar kuch #JaanbaazHindustanKe 🙌🏽

Premiering this Republic Day, only on #ZEE5#JaanbaazOnZEE5@samarmumbaikhan @srijitspeaketh @sanusingh2207 @Neeraj_Udhwani @ashishpverma @akhil2jaiswal #VineetBatra pic.twitter.com/61I3ZWP2Ou

— ReginaaCassandraa (@ReginaCassandra) January 12, 2023

Q. What is the intention of having this all-women episode?

A. Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke is a tribute to everyone in the Forces.

The first season is about female police officers. They do want to make this a multi-season thing. I am not sure if it is going to be female-only or male-only. But it is a tribute to those who put their lives in the line of duty.

I play Kavya Iyer in Season 1 which has eight episodes.

Q. What kind of person is Kavya Iyer? Didn’t you play a cop in Saakini Daakini?

Regina Cassandra with retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi. (Twitter)

A. Kavya is a go-getter and someone who stands her ground because her intentions have always been right.

She is a pragmatic leader and her convincing skills are too good.

She wants to balance her career and home. She is a mother and wants to serve the country. In Saakini Daakini, I wasn’t a cop but a police trainee.

Q. When the story was being executed, what were the myriad emotions you went through?

A. I have seen so many cop stories, good bad and ugly. But this one is about a female cop who is navigating a complex journey. I wanted to see if she had it easy or hard.

I am a woman and am piqued by the fact of how all these IPS officers handle work – do they have family support or not? Kiran Bedi had support but others didn’t.

It was interesting to play such a character with so many layers and approaches. On the ground, she is firing and the next moment, she quarrels with her husband.

She has an estranged relationship with him. She has a son and mother at home.

Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke is a story that needs to be told and you will get to see what exactly the IPS officers go through.

We’re so proud of our Team #JaanbaazHindustanKe who met the REAL life Jaanbaaz – #DCPSumanNalwa. Such an honourable moment! https://t.co/49qS8RTe5Z

— ZEE5 (@ZEE5India) January 20, 2023

Q. What did director Srijith Mukherji extract from you?

A. He extracted the best from me, he is particular about a few things.

We had conversations and rehearsals. I went through the length and breadth of the character. I loved these rehearsals with the actors, especially with the head of NIA played by Mita Vashisht.

Rehearsals for me are not about upgrading craft or something. It is important for me as Kavya to understand the relationships with everyone.

Each relationship is important for her and also taxing. It helped me to dive into the relationships instead of going to the sets and figuring them out.

Rehearsals in films depend on filmmakers; some films have rehearsals and some don’t. It could be because of the time crunch, we often don’t have rehearsals for films.

But I honestly love rehearsals. I rehearse a lot because they make a world of difference to me.

We shot these eight episodes in 50 days. There is a lot going on right now; I’m dubbing for the web series. We’re excited because have a perfect date for release.

Q. How enriching was this brief relationship with OTT stars?

A. The OTT space helped me build a rapport with my co-actors. I am a person who usually keeps everything to myself. I don’t speak unless I am spoken to.

But, after this web series, I am more open to having conversations with co-stars. I have been a shy person but OTT helped me come out of the cocoon.

Upcoming series ‘Jaanbaaz Hindustan Ke’ actors Regina & Sumeet visited @DelhiPolice HQ today. Regina is playing an IPS officer. The series is a tribute to officers in uniform.

Presented them copies of #KissaKhakiKa book which compiles podcasts based on heroic deeds of our cops. pic.twitter.com/pVU7TXCeDX

— Suman Nalwa (@sumannalwa) January 18, 2023

Q. You have travelled a lot for this story. What is the best about it?

A. I love to travel. I like to try out different cultural cuisines and observe people. Travel helps me unwind.

We shot in Shillong, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Kerala. More than anything, I like absorbing into the culture.  Sometimes, I like to be myself, go for a walk or just be by myself.

Once a year, I meet up with my college friend in the North East.