18 November,2025 08:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Letty Mariam Abraham
Sonakshi Batra
When foraying into entertainment, Sonakshi Batra never imagined that one day she will do action on television. She admits being skeptical about doing TV, until Vikrant Massey advised to take it up and build a foundation. Broken bones, cuts, and scrapes, the actor shares that it "all feels worth it". While the difficulty level required her to train extensively, time is a non-existent element in the medium that has to churn out episodes daily. In conversation with mid-day, Batra opens up about playing a role with dual personalities in Jagadhatri, her prep for the role, and why doing TV is hard.
Excerpts from the interview.
How comfortable is it doing action in the show?
I learned everything during workshops. I think the first time it happened was for the promo. By now, we have done two or three action sequences. It has been interesting. I've learned a few tips and tricks because action sequences are not just about fighting, it's fighting for the camera. So you need to know the angles and the choreography [has to be set]. I had to be really focused to learn that choreography quickly.
What did your workshop entail?
Basically, they tested my flexibility, how high the kicks could go, and how my body would move when we punched. They wanted to know everyone's limitations and what they are capable of. Then we choreographed for each action sequence. In the audition, they wanted to check if I would fit both the characters. There are two personalities of Jagadhatri - a young girl craving for love and trying to appease her family, a homemaker, and the other is in the cop world where she is a courageous, fierce, and fearless leader.
Is the show heavy on drama or action or comedy?
There is a bit of comedy, which provides a bit of relief. I like that bit about the show. The story involves a lot of drama, and along with that there is action too. Because Jagadhatri is an undercover cop, it is a mixture of all three.
A lot of daily soaps begin with a unique concept but lose the core over time. How intact is the central plot?
We have just started shooting. But I believe it should remain [till the end]. You're correct in saying that. A lot of times, shows lose the plot and changes happen. Having said that, I think a lot of it depends on what the audience is liking. It does not really depend on the actors, producers or the storytellers.
What was your reference point during the prep for the role?
For the homely character, I just worked on the background of Jagadhatri, [tried to understand] her story, her relationship with every character in the house, why she is so vulnerable, her body language, and tonality. It needed to look a little different in both personalities. For the action bit, since I have not done any action in the past, I watched Mardani [2014] and observed Priyanka Chopra's stylised action in movies. I just observed their body language.
How much did you physically push yourself for this role?
Fortunately, I've been very regular at the gym and I've always practiced yoga. So that came in handy. Even when the makers were checking my flexibility and kicks, they were surprised. But I had to learn all those things. A punch or swing in the camera should look effective. Learning that was more important. Since there has always been a time crunch to prepare for TV, I didn't get to join any classes for MMA or other martial arts. I relied a lot on YouTube tutorials. I watched a lot of it and then tried to imitate it at home. We would rehearse five minutes before the show. People think TV is a cakewalk and anybody can do it. But there is a lot still that goes beyond it.
What precautions are taken on set during action sequences?
The fight masters take those. Harnesses are there for scenes, and you have to do all your normal action scenes by yourself. It does not matter if you get hurt. It happens. And apart from that, if there are any jumps, they put mattresses under us so that we get a safe landing. There is medical assistance on the set too.
How many injuries have you sustained so far?
The heavy guns we use in the show often are not dummy. After holding it for a long time in a particular position, our hands start paining. It's like holding a heavy dumbbell for long. Since we were shooting the whole sequence together, my hands started shivering under its weight. With all the running and chasing we did, my legs also started hurting.
Do you feel TV demands more hard work?
Yes, a lot of hard work goes on TV. So my first project was a movie. I was very fortunate that I got to do it because destiny played a huge role in all this. During that movie, I met Vikrant Massey. It was also around the time I was getting a lot of offers for TV, but I was very skeptical of doing it. When I had a word with him, he told me to take up TV as you learn a lot on the set. The 14-15 hours that you get, when you do movies, it will feel like a cakewalk. You learn to memorise your lines in five minutes. You become technically more sound.
