The Archies was one of the most anticipated Indian films of the year. The Zoya Akhtar-directorial was in the news for its new faces – all seven of them – including three star kids. But while there was some negative chatter around it prior to the release, the reviews and reactions since have largely been positive. Debutant actress Santana Roach, who plays Midge Klump in the film, speaks to DNA about the release, the audience feedback, and the road ahead.
The Archies is set in a fictional town called Riverdale inhabited exclusively by Anglo-Indians. Funnily enough, Santana is the only cast member who is an actual Anglo-Indian. Talking about how she landed the role, she tells us, “I was one of the only people who auditioned from Delhi as I was based there at that time. Everyone else was in Mumbai. I sent a self test, based on which I was shortlisted. The entire process lasted three weeks after which I was shortlisted.”
The actress says that the months and weeks prior to the release was a nervous time for her. “I was very anxious about how the audience will like the film, if they will like me in the film. We had seen it 2-3 months before the release so the anxiety wasn’t as much because we knew what everybody else will see. But regardless, it’s a lot of nerve,” she recalls.
The film, directed by Zoya Akhtar, also stars Suhana Khan, Agastya Nanda, and Khushi Kapoor. The presence of the three star kids made it a target of several trolls even before release. Addressing that negativity, Santana says, “Before the film was released, there was a lot of backlash that was happening. Honestly, people talk but we know the effort that we have put into the film. The film is one of the most beautiful things to have happened to us. It’s not just because it’s our first film but because it is just too beautiful. We are blessed to be a part of it and we all put our heart and soul into it, including Zoya. So, to get so much negativity on it before people even saw it, it was very demotivating but I am happy that people are now appreciating the effort we put into it. We are in a good space now.”
Santana’s first foray into acting has earned her praise and the actress says she is happy to end 2023 on such a positive note, while looking forward to other projects and more work. Meanwhile, The Archies is streaming on Netflix.
