When the first season of Adrishyam premièred in 2024, Pooja Gor devoured the espionage series in a matter of days. Little did the actor know that one day, she would be a part of the show. Today, she leads Adrishyam: The Invisible Heroes 2 alongside Eijaz Khan. Its addition to her filmography feels natural to Gor, who is a fan of spy thrillers. “As an audience, I gravitate towards [thrillers] like Mind Hunter or shows based on spies. There is an interesting documentary [The Spy, 2019] on the workings of a spy. However, the USP [unique selling proposition] of Adrishyam is that it focuses on the personal and emotional lives of these officers. It not only highlights the case, but also throws light on the emotional toll an officer goes through on cases like these, and how they balance their personal and professional responsibilities,” she shares.
For eons, television has been home ground for the actor, who became a household name after Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya (2009-2012). But in the past few years, she spread her wings and experimented with digital entertainment, featuring in Guns and Gulaabs (2023) and IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack (2024). When Adrishyam came her way, it was an instant yes. “We shot for the show sometime in July last year,” she says.
Pooja Gor as Durga
Gor plays Durga, a new officer to join the undercover squad, in the SonyLIV series that revolves around a covert team of elite operatives working in the shadows to neutralise threats before they strike. The team is led by Khan’s character Ravi Verma. Before the series went on floors in August 2024, the actor says she had to mentally and physically prepare for her character. “The physical aspect involved combat and action training. Durga operates in the shadows. So, I had to change my body language; she had to be more understated, subtle and less visible,” she decodes, pointing out that the role required a shift in her mental make-up too. “It was more important to reflect the mental fortitude of Durga and to understand the emotional toll a case takes on the investigating officers. In season two, the [level of] thrill, danger and threat is heightened. The stakes are higher than last time,” she promises.
While Gor is yet to watch the series that dropped online on April 4, she is confident that viewers will enjoy seeing her as a gun-wielding spy. “It is a quick watch. I want to enjoy seeing myself do things I have never done before,” she smiles.
It’s a philosophy that she is extending to her personal life as well. When she is not facing the camera, you’ll find the actor trying her hand at painting. She picked up the art as a form of meditation and is now planning to sell her works. “I picked up painting during the pandemic and am thoroughly enjoying it. I don’t know if there will be buyers for my paintings, but now I will think in that direction,” says the actor, who has almost wrapped up the shoot of her next.