Is Anil Kapoor targeting the saas-bahu audience in season two of 24 ? Sakshi Tanwar, one of the two original bahus of Indian television, plays Shivani Malik, the head of the Anti-Terror Unit (ATU), in this season. "The series is in stark contrast to whatever I have done till date," admits Sakshi. "However, directors Rensil D'Silva and Abhinay Deo were more convinced than me that I could play the part. Shivani is a woman of substance and she also nurtures a special child."
Sakshi says she had to work on her body language and unlearn many things that she had gathered over the years, while working in daily soaps. "I had to convince myself that here I am not saving just my family; the nation's security is at stake. The role is such that I am not expected to sit. I have to keep moving from once desk to another. Shivani is either on a conference call or is tracking the movement of terrorists."
After a couple of days of shooting, Sakshi says that Anil Kapoor came to her with a suggestion. "I know I have a soft face and you can't do much with it, but he said that an actor can play with his or her voice. I am used to modulating my voice to express emotions. He said I should remove all the emotional layers, as it would create an interesting contrast. Still, there were occasions when I would slip into the daily soap mould. Then, he would send a co-actor or assistant director who would gently whisper in my ear: Madam, you are the ATU head'. And. I would immediately say, Okay, let's do one more'," laughs Sakshi.
The most challenging part, reflects Sakshi, was to hide emotions when Shivani would talk to her child. "The character is choked with emotions, but it should not reflect in her voice and expression because there is a bigger crisis at hand. I loved this challenge."
Anil Kapoor said I should remove all the emotional layers from my voice to create an interesting contrast
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