Anushka Merchande: Negative roles allow you to expand your creativity and craft

Actress Anushka Merchande is known for her work in shows like Main Hoon Aparajita and Banni Chow Home Delivery, where she mostly played soft-spoken, positive characters. But this time, she has taken up a negative role in the upcoming show Saru.
Talking about her role, she says, “Before this show, I had always done positive leads — characters that were very naive and innocent. I wanted to challenge myself with something new. Even though I’ve played versatile roles before, this time it’s a purely negative character, and I’m very excited about it.”
Her character Anika, is a rich, spoiled brat who sees herself above everyone else. “She’s very arrogant, stylish, and self-absorbed,” she adds. “She doesn’t care about anyone.”
Anushka adds, “My last show, Main Hoon Aparajita had a slightly grey character where I played a con girl but not completely negative. Wherreas in Pukaar my role was of a confident, fierce, and bubbly girl. Anika is much more negative in comparison.”
So what draws her to such characters? “I enjoy every character I play. Negative roles, in particular, allow you to expand your creativity and craft. I believe every actor should try new things to learn and grow. I love doing both!I always look for good, meaningful roles, whether they are positive or negative.”