Simran Ashwini was recently seen playing a key character in Matka King, starring Vijay Varma, Sai Tamhankar, Bhupendra Jadawat, Kritika Kamra, and Gulshan Grover. Before landing the Amazon Prime Video show, she worked as an assistant director in Nagraj Manjule-produced Ghar Banduk Biryani.
In an exclusive chat with The Movie Mail, the aspiring actor talked about her experience working as an AD on film sets and how it shaped her acting career. Simran also shared how grateful she is to her mother (producer Ashwini Sidwani) for guiding her and always being there for her.
Edited excerpts:
Q. Matka King marks your acting debut. What was the exact moment you decided to step in front of the camera?
A. It was the time when I saw my mom (Ashwini Sidwani, co-producer of Matka King) acting. My mom was an actress, and I used to follow her on the sets. She was my idol, and I really want to follow in her footsteps. When I saw her in front of the camera, I felt that she was the Pooh of my life (a reference from K3G).
Q. Tell us about your character, Vasudha, in Matka King.
A. Gulshan Grover (Sir) played the role of my father, who thinks of himself as the Matka King in the show. Vasudha, my character, is definitely privileged because she is the daughter of one of the richest men in the business, but there’s more to her character. She is both positive and negative at once, possessing all shades.
Q. You’ve spoken about self-doubt and being vulnerable. How did you navigate that during your first project as an actor?
A. I was scared because this was my very first project. I became nervous after meeting such great actors on set, including Gulshan Grover, Vijay Varma, Sai Tamhankar, Kritika Kamra, Siddharth Jadhav, and Girish Kulkarni. I taught myself breathing exercises and tried to control my excitement, too, but that’s all I could do.
Q. Being introduced as one of the key faces, did you feel pressure or excitement, or a mix of both?
A. It’s a mixture of both. I was excited, but at the same time very nervous. I was playing the part of Gulshan Sir’s daughter in the show, and he made me feel like his child. Even when I made mistakes and felt shattered on the set in front of everyone, he took me under his wing like his own, and I felt confident again.
Q. Did working behind the scenes change how you approach acting today?
A. Yes, I felt very grounded. I didn’t feel like my mother’s daughter when I was working in that capacity, because as an AD on the set, I used to serve tea, sit on the floor and eat with my peers. Every actor should experience that situation to understand the camera, lighting, conversations behind the camera, and the overall functionality of a set.
Q. There’s an increasing conversation around women taking charge behind the camera, but at the same time, facing gender bias and pay parity. Did you face any subtle biases as a female assistant director?
A. My mother’s second project (upcoming), which is still in its writing phase, is based on ‘women in the workforce’ as directors, DOP, writers, actors and more. I have not seen bias around me while growing up or even working on the set, so I don’t know how it feels. For Matka King, I honestly didn’t even get paid and only received a shagun (chukles!).
Q. In the age of OTT platforms, do you feel opportunities for newcomers have genuinely expanded, or is the competition just tougher?
A. There are a lot of opportunities and scope for actors now. There has been a pool of new actors who were seen on OTTs post-COVID, and the platforms have received great reviews for bringing fresh faces to the screen.
Q. What’s one stereotype about female actors or ADs in the industry that you’ve personally experienced, and want to break?
A. Honestly, I haven’t yet faced anything like that. I am thankful for my mother, who is my safety net. But at the same time, I wouldn’t call myself a Nepo kid, because if I were a Nepo kid, I would be playing Gulrukh (Kritika Kamra) and not Vasudha in Matka King. I would have had a lot of screen time, but I merely have five scenes. In a total of three to four minutes’ role in the entire eight-hour episode.
Q. After Matka King, what kind of roles or stories are you hoping to explore next?
A. Currently, I am looking forward to receiving reviews about my performance in Matka King and understanding myself as an actor.
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