Response to Aarya is phenomenal, similar to what I received for Wake Up Sid, says Namit Das

The Hindi web-series Aarya (2020) has come in for a lot of praise for Sushmita Sen’s performance. But the series has a list of other actors who have stood out because of their acting skills. One among them is Namit Das who played Jawahar, a close friend of Chandrachur Singh and Sen’s characters in the series. 

Das has been pleasantly stunned by the response he has been receiving for his work in the web-series. “It has been fantastic, phenomenal. It is the biggest reaction I have got from any project. Every day I get up to messages on the phone. People are calling and trying to get in touch. They loved the theme and the character so much. There’s kindness in the air,” he said. 

The response reminds him of a period more than a decade ago, when he received similar accolades. “I had a similar kind of reaction 11 years ago when Wake Up Sid (2009) had released, where people were calling me up and saying it was so good to see me on screen. They loved it so much,” said Das. The actor had played Ranbir Kapoor's friend in the film directed by Ayan Mukerji. 

Das was happy sharing screen with Sen and Singh. “It was very good and very easy also. They are legends. They do it so professionally. Chandrachur ji, whom I lovingly call CC ji, and I bonded on music and Vedic astrology,” he said. 

Aarya is about Tej Sareen (Singh) who is in the business of illegal medicines. Das plays Tej’s business partner and close friend. Circumstances lead to Tej’s death after which his wife Aarya (Sen) takes matters in her own hands. 

Working with Sen was memorable for Das. “What to say about Sushmita Sen ji! You're in awe of her as soon as she enters the room. She has been my crush for a long time. Getting to not only see her in person, but also acting with her was fabulous. She is very precise in her scenes. She is brilliant. And there’s no one in the industry who could have played this character better,” he said. 

The fight sequences in the series were a challenge for Das, but he eventually mastered them. “You realize that every action choreography is like dance and you have to remember the steps. You have to be careful you don’t hit the other person,” he said. 

Das also imparted some interesting insights into the art of fight sequences. “The person who is getting hit always has to do more work. The other person is not going to hit you literally. For the person getting hit, it’s the reaction that matters. It should look like this person has actually got hit,” he said.