The actor talks about her first TV venture, her character Ananya Rawat, working with Yudhishthir, why she decided to move to TV and more
Tulip Joshi apparently always wanted to be a pilot, but life never took that turn for her, lucky us. She comes across as a professional, soft spoken and extremely polite and grounded person. Our interaction with the actor though short was indeed interesting. Read excerpts from the interview…
How does it feel wearing the uniform of a pilot?
It feels great I am a first officer so now I have to stand tall – can’t be just Tulip.
Why did you decide to shift to television?
There’s no calculated move, I will keep doing films. TV or movies – I just think am in front of a camera so the medium doesn’t really matter.
Tell us about your character
I play First Officer Ananya Rawat in airlines. The story is basically her journey, the challenges she faces in the aviation industry and how she survives in the world which is dominated primarily by men.
How did you prepare for your character?
I did internet research, met some pilots and that’s it. It’s not a documentary and we have not been tested for our IQ before taking on the character. Nor were my plane flying skills tested. It’s just acting, so I have concentrated more on my performance, the body language, my eyes and expressions that’s it.
What about Airlines attracted you to do it?
I loved the concept; the idea of playing a pilot is what excited me. I love Ananya’s character and I don’t know, but there was something in me that made me want to do this role.
There are a lot of real life incidents that have been adapted into the show. Have you drawn any connect to it?
Yes, I think every day we come across situations and situations we can definitely relate to. Fortunately, I have not been in any situations on flights but I have seen, read and watched incidents that have happened and I can empathise with that.
Yudhishthir told us that there will be drama, glamour and a lot of romance in the show. How much of romance?
Well romance is just a part of it; it’s not the main thing. It just shows Ananya Rawat’s journey from being a first officer, her relationships with her family, friends, fellow colleagues and her different emotions.
Was any of your myth about the aviation industry broken?
No, I don’t think much about any industry ‘coz I’m sure every industry has their stories and rumours. It’s more of acting; I don’t really have to have background knowledge about the industry.
How was it working with Yudhishthir onscreen and off screen?
Yudi is a very fine actor and a thorough professional. It has been a very tough schedule, we shoot and I go back home. So there’s barely much time to chit chat or mingle post work.
Do you think airing once a week, will work to pull audiences?
There will be reruns of the show, and each episode is like a short film of 45 minutes. So I hope people watch it and like it.
In the television industry, stories change as per the weekly TRPs. Will you still be a part of this show if the makers decide to change the script?
Honestly, this is my first experience in television. I do know that stories get altered a little with respect to TRPs but I don’t think it will be that drastic a change.
When Amitabh Bachchan launched Yudh – a weekly show, it did not work so well in spite of all the hype. Are you worried at all about Airlines?
I hope it does well. But I think it’s time we had such serials made ‘coz it’s refreshing. One has to experiment and get out of the rut. I am sure there is an audience out there who will enjoy such series.
Are you excited or nervous?
I am looking forward to it. I am just blank not nervous or excited. I just hope it’s a success.
