Whirlwind is how Akansha Ranjan Kapoor describes the past week since Gram Chikitsalay dropped online. While the actor was nervous about how the audience would receive her village girl act, she has been left pleasantly surprised. “The reaction has been good, and it’s getting better every day. Seeing people make memes and talking about my character means it stayed with them,” she smiles.
Kapoor plays a doctor in the Amazon Prime Video dramedy, which also stars Amol Parashar and Anandeshwar Dwivedi. The role is a departure from the upper-class, urban characters that she mostly played before, from Ray (2021) to Monica O My Darling (2022). “People are being able to [picture] me in this role. I bumped into a casting director who said, ‘Who cast you for this? I wouldn’t have even thought of you for such a role.’ So, I hope people can see me [in a new light].”
While Kapoor, who debuted with Guilty (2020), is grateful for the opportunities so far, she wishes that casting is practised on the basis of talent, and not social media following or perception. “I hope people take a chance on me, and let go of the algorithms and metrics. When I debuted, I wanted my work to do the talking and didn’t want to get into the social media popularity rat race. Unfortunately, having acting chops isn’t the only requirement anymore. I’m trying to keep up with the market demands while being honest with my craft.”