Girl On Fire
Shivani Raghuvanshi aka Jazz from Amazon’s Made In Heaven
web-series shares
insider secrets and speculates Season 2 plot
Shivani Raghuvanshi does not come from a film family. In fact, her family isn’t even remotely
involved in a creative field. But that never kept her from chasing after her dreams. Her
scene-stealing portrayals of Neelu (from the Dibakar Banerjee-produced Titli) and now, Jaspreet “Jazz” Kaur from the popular Amazon original web series, Made In Heaven are proof that she’s
destined for stardom. Quite like her character in the web-series, this Delhi-girl still feels like an
outsider in the world of showbiz, but her self-confidence and talent is immense and relentless.
We catch up with her on a sunny morning at Rustom’s Parsi Bhonu over mango ice-cream
sandwiches & raspberry sodas to breakdown her character Jazz, and her plans for the road ahead.
Q What drew you to acting?
Nobody in my family has ever dabbled in a
creative field but I knew it in my heart, even
as a child, that I wanted to act. It sounds so filmy but I used to dreamabout it every night that one day I’ll get scouted by a big director on the streets of Mumbai and there’ll be no turning back. My strategy was to keep it a secret until my graduation and then plan my
escape to Bollywood.
Q You did get scouted though, so that
must’ve been a dream-come-true?
On my way back from a college street play
performance, I was approached by a casting coordinator in the Delhi Metro and that’s how
I landed my first acting gig in a Vodafone ad.
I was so excited that up until they asked me how much would I like to charge for it, it
didn’t even strike me that I could makemoney doing this. A year later the same casting
team called me down to Mumbai to audition
for Titli (2014). Despite being a niche film, it
got my foot in the door. It got me rave reviws
and I started getting called in for auditions.
Q How did Made In Heaven come
along? Were you at all apprehensive
to work in a web-series.
I knew that Zoya (Akhtar, Director) was
working on this flag-bearer series for Amazon Prime so there were no apprehensions
whatsoever. Everything she does is amazing!
I didn’t expect a call for auditions but once I was called in, I knew it in my gut that this role was mine.
Q How much do you identify with
your character Jazz and her life
experiences?
A lot! Jazz is a very naive but hopeful
character who looks beyond life’s
shortcomings and her web of troubles. I also love that Jazz doesn’t try too hard to fit-in, she likes to carve her own niche, another
sentiment that I can relate to. My life
experiences are very different though — my brother isn’t addicted to drugs (giggles)!
Q What does it mean to be an independent woman in these times?
I think in today’s time the biggest realisation I have had is that we are already free — that we don’t need to seek our freedom from anyone else, we just need to choose it.
Q How did the two cities affect your outlook in life?
People love to do this Delhi-Mumbai comparison. I would say, that at least in my experience of the two cities — Delhi is filled with people whose minds are easily shocked yet they have the warmest hearts; Mumbai is filled with open minds and conversation but so much heartbreak and rejection. I think true success as a human being is when you can marry an open heart with an open mind. That’s what I’ve tried to take away from both places.
Q Jazz’s secret affair with the mechanic was a shocking twist in her character arc, how did you feel about it?
When I read the script for the first time, I was shocked too.
I realise it was a breakthrough moment for Jazz. She seeks a temporary escape when her whole life was crumbling down and the mechanic offers just that. She refuses his help in the very next scene because all she wanted
was a release, not a boyfriend.
Q Jazz and Tara had similar
backgrounds, but turned out to be
such different people. Where do you think Jazz gets her self-confidence
from?
At the beginning of the shoot, I was told that Jazz and Tara are similar characters only ten years apart on the timeline. But the way I see
it, they’re very different people and I hope
that holds true in the next season too. Tara’s acute self-awareness feeds her insecurity and complexes, but Jazz is so completely
naive that she feels no need to doubt herself.
Q Congratulations on the Season 2 sign-off, what can you tell us about
the storyline?
None of us have any idea. All I can tell you is that they’re still writing the second season
and we start shooting end of this year.
Q What are your expectations from Jazz in Season 2? Do you think she’ll pursue her crush with Kabir?
I hope that Jazz grows into her surroundings but still manages to hold her own. And as for her crush on Kabir, I doubt she’ll get distracted by a boy so easily!
Q What’s your dream role or genre?
Having already tried my hand at indie
projects, I want to do something super commercial, a fun Bollywood masala film. Dancing to a tune or looking glamorous on the camera, staying aware of my profiles — these are all such daunting tasks to me, but I want to see if I can do it!
Q Congratulations on the Season 2 sign-off, what can you tell us about
the storyline?
None of us have any idea. All I can tell you is that they’re still writing the second season
and we start shooting end of this year.
Q What are your expectations from Jazz in Season 2? Do you think she’ll pursue her crush with Kabir?
I hope that Jazz grows into her surroundings but still manages to hold her own. And as for her crush on Kabir, I doubt she’ll get distracted by a boy so easily!
Q What’s your dream role or genre?
Having already tried my hand at indie
projects, I want to do something super commercial, a fun Bollywood masala film. Dancing to a tune or looking glamorous on the camera, staying aware of my profiles — these are all such daunting tasks to me, but I want to see if I can do it!