Ila Arun says she had to shed her 'khanabadosh' image to play Sushmita Sen's nemesis in Aarya Antim Vaar | Exclusive

Aarya Antim Vaar, the second part of the third season of Sushmita Sen-starrer crime drama web series Aarya, premiered on the OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar on February 9, and opened to mixed to positive reviews from audiences and critics. The veteran actress and singer Ila Arun is the latest addition to the third season of Aarya. She plays Nalini Sahiba, the drug kingpin and Sushmita Sen's nemesis in the show created by Ram Madhvani.

In an exclusive interview with DNA, Ila Arun shared that she agreed to play Nalini Sahiba in Aarya as this was the first negative role that she was offered in her acting career. "My image is connected directly with the Earth. I never wear diamond, I wear silver. I eat with the folk singers while sitting on the ground. I travel everywhere through trucks. I have such an image of a khanabadosh (nomad). And to play the heiress of a royal family and do an action-oriented role of the villain with restrained acting in Aarya, I had to let go of that image", the 69-year-old singer said.

She further added, "So if a director shows faith in you to play a criminal don, then it is amazing. I give the whole credit to Mr. Ram Madhvani, who saw something in me to play this role. I felt really good because this was something new to me and I got the great opportunity challenge Sushmita Sen's Aarya in the show."

Ila Arun affirmed that she had no doubts before she signed up to play an antagonist in Aarya. "An actor always looks for a dramatic role. I am not one of those actresses in the present generation, who put out a condition saying 'I won't play a vamp, a mother, or a sister'. In my age, I am concerned that I get to play different characters. Ram Madhvani was very clear that he wanted me to do this role", the folk singer stated.

When asked why she has been absent from Bollywood playback singing in the last few years, Ila Arun said, "In film industry, people are always looking for something new. There are new actors coming in, the music is changing. Leave me, ask Shreya Ghoshal, Kavita Krishnamurthy, and Alka Yagnik, where have they gone now. Even Sunidhi Chauhan and Neha Kakkar sing so less these days."

"I was sitting in an award function recently and I couldn't recognise the faces of the new singers. Now, a lot of it depends on the music company, who decides everything. That's why I have sung so less in Bollywood, but maybe I sing a few songs soon, you never know. I have so many of my own songs and I keep singing folk songs, apart from Bollywood and in my own albums", she concluded,.

Apart from Sushmita Sen and Ila Arun, Aarya Antim Vaar featured an ensemble of actors including Sikandar Kher, Vikas Kumar, Vishwajeet Pradhan, Viren Vazirani, Aarushi Bajaj, Pratyaksh Panwar, Bhupendra Jadawat, and Shashvat Seth among others. The four episodes of Aarya Antim Vaar is streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.

READ | Aarya Antim Vaar review: Sushmita Sen, Ram Madhvani keep you on the edge of your seat in this engaging but bumpy ride