Kritika Kamra is enjoying her moment in the Sun. The 34-year-old actor has been a part of successful shows but the kind of response she is getting for essaying the role of Mumbai gangster, Habiba Kadri, in the recently-released web series, Bambai Meri Jaan, is just unprecedented! From actors, whose work she admires, to directors and even her gym members are surprised by her performance and transformation.  

Of course, the feeling is amazing for the 34-year-old, who has long been regaling audiences with her performances in TV shows such as Kitani Mohabbat Hai, Kuch Toh Log Kahenge and Prem Ya Paheli – Chandrakanta. “What makes Habiba’s appreciation extra special is the fact that the character is not an extension of my personality. These compliments mean a lot as they give me the confidence to make unconventional choices,” says the actor when we connect with her over a telephone interview on a rainy evening.  

Showtime stories 

Kamra’s transition to OTT happened when she reached a saturation point doing television shows. Starting her acting career at the age of 18 on TV, Kamra literally grew up in the industry while simultaneously forming her thought process, worldview, personality and likes and dislikes, and learning her craft on the job, which was taxing but a great learning ground for her. “I was choosing from what came my way and learning non-stop, and those TV shows were also very rewarding. The roles I did found a special place in the people’s hearts and in pop culture to some extent because they are still being watched, and audiences have been following me since,” she recalls. 

While the actor is immensely grateful for the fame TV gave her and the financial security to be able to quit the medium later, she recollects facing a huge disconnect between her aspirations and what she was doing on the job. Having grown up in the industry as a cinema lover, TV had no options for her. So, Kamra decided to end this journey and start over. “I did that as a grown-up with absolute clarity to do meaningful and challenging work, which would give me the opportunity to collaborate with makers, who would help me grow and build a filmography. In the last few years, I’ve built one that I’m proud of. Besides, my craft is my primary driving force and I am following that pursuit,” says Kamra, who forayed into Bollywood with Mitron (2017) TV series Tandav (2021), and Hush Hush (2022) followed by Kaun Banegi Shikharwati (2022). 

Behind the scenes 

Interestingly enough, Kamra was the last person to join the cast of Bambai Meri Jaan. When she received a call from the casting director, she didn’t know much about the character though she was well aware that such a show was being made for Amazon Prime, and was quite fascinated by the world of Mumbai gangsters. However, what she did not expect was to fall in love with the process of acting, even more. 

“First, I was surprised when they called because I’m not considered for these kinds of roles, and have never played something like this before. I went, auditioned, gave it my all, and got selected. After reading the entire script, I was blown away by the character of Habiba which had a beautiful and powerful arc. Second, what stood out for me was the fact that since one hasn’t seen female actors play gangsters on celluloid and there’s no reference point for it, it gave me a clean slate to etch it,” she says.  

The process of generating the psyche of the character and creating it from scratch was an equally exciting and immersive process for Kamra. “It’s fun playing relatable roles as well but that’s a comfort zone. Here, because there’s no real person or iconic character, it had to be original and Shujaat Saudagar, our director, helped me a lot,” she shares.  

The opportunity, however, came with its own share of challenges. Being the last person to join the show while everyone else was pretty much in character and knew the language well after having undergone rigorous workshops, Kamra had very little time to catch up. She had to become Habiba and fit into the group, the gang and the family as everyone belonged to the same world — a South Bombay pocket in the 70’s. And that immediately required a lot of work on the dialect. 

By her own admission, Habiba is the most complex character Kamra has portrayed so far. “Just the sheer size and scale of it firstly, and then the pandemic added to the challenge. Our shoot was stalled a few times first because of the lockdown and then because of the cyclone. As the set had broken and was built again, you had to be in character for a really long time and there were big gaps in between the schedules. So, getting in and out of the character, coming back and making sure to maintain the continuity to shoot over two years, and then of course, the character not being a regular one by any stretch of the imagination made it complex,” she elaborates.  

Besides, the entire team of Bambai Meri Jaan was very passionate about it and Kamra says this attitude trickled down right from the top — the director was not easy to please as he had set really high standards for himself and hence, for everybody else. “His passion and commitment were really commendable and that rubbed off on all of us. We were just rearing to go, looking forward to finishing and delivering the series, which has actually been a labour of love,” she says. 

OTT, Kamra believes, has been a boon for all artistes, be it actors, writers, directors, et al. “TV has seen women play central characters and lead roles but the quality of those stories was different. On OTT, all characters are sketched to keep things real as is the casting which opens the doors for people like me,” says Kamra.  

Going forward, Kamra is happy to take on new and unconventional roles that come her way and even happier that this show has changed the landscape of roles on her platter.