Kussh S Sinha: ‘At times, filmmakers wouldn’t fully use Sonakshi’s talent’

For his directorial debut, Kussh S Sinha has crafted a supernatural thriller, Nikita Roy. At the centre of this mystery layered with the occult is actor and Kussh’s sister Sonakshi Sinha, who plays the titular role. Tell the first-time director that very few supernatural thrillers are centred on women, and he says that a lot of effort went into building Nikita’s character. “Nikita is part of a group of people who want to investigate charlatans. [We set out] by understanding her psychology. What motivates her? Why does she want to be an author? Why does she want to make people realise that they shouldn’t believe in the supernatural? All these layers were kept in mind while designing the character,” he shares.

If he had a complex character on paper, Sonakshi breathed life into it. Having watched his sister on screen over the past 15 years, Kussh knew that playing an investigator adamant on finding the truth would come easily to her. “It was easier to direct Sonakshi because I have studied her as an actor. In fact, at times, my biggest grouse as a viewer was that other filmmakers were not using her talent to the fullest. She is an extremely talented actor with immense emotional range.” How did the sibling dynamics translate on the set? “On set, she is an actor who has been doing her work for a number of years. So, I treated her as I’d treat any experienced actor — with respect, and I’d take into account what was required from them and what they required from me.”

Kussh S Sinha

Directing an eclectic cast that included Arjun Rampal, Paresh Rawal, and Suhail Nayyar was a pleasure for the debutant director. Kussh reflects, “I got lucky that they are all accomplished actors. That helped with bringing the characters to life.”

Carrying the Sinha legacy ahead comes with emotional pressure. But the filmmaker asserts that Nikita Roy is a reclamation of his voice, on his own terms. He states, “I respect what my father [Shatrughan Sinha] has achieved. But there was no emotional pressure on Sonakshi and I as we did Nikita Roy together. My father has been an actor and a politician for decades. My sister has been an actor. This is me walking my own path. At the end of the day, you have to work as hard as everybody else, if not harder.”

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