“I had to tap on Madhu’s strength and vulnerability”, says Shriya Pilgaonkar on her character in Taaza Khabar

A roller coaster of emotions, comedy, romance, action and drama, Hotstar Specials’ Taaza Khabar is an all-in-one package. Marking the debut OTT debut of social media sensation Bhuvan Bam, the series is a modern-day tale that dismantles the boon and banes of miracles. Produced by Rohit Raj & Bhuvan Bam under the banner BB Ki Vines productions, directed by Himank Gaur and written by the duo Hussain & Abbas Dalal, the series will release exclusively on Disney+ Hotstar on 6th January, 2023.

Shriya Pilgaonkar has successfully delivered great performances and completely done justice to her characters by sinking in the role. No matter what the role, she has always aced performances that come her way. In Taaza Khabar, she portrays the pivotal role of Madhu, a beautiful character with different shades to her that shows her journey.

Talking about her role, Shriya Pilgaonkar said, “I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to portray so many wonderful, strong women that are inspiring. No actor wants to be stereotyped so I’m glad I got the chance to play a spunky sex worker with so many different shades to her. Madhu is a firecracker and in spite of the harsh circumstances in a brothel, I love the fact that she still has a sense of humor about life and is super spunky. She hasn’t given up on her dreams. We’ve seen some fantastic portrayals of sex works in our films in the past and what I love about my character Madhu is that in spite of living life as a sex worker, she hasn’t let her circumstances define her. I haven’t played a character like this before in terms of Madhu’s look and her sassy personality and I am so excited for people to see this new side of me on screen.”

On her preparation, the actress adds, “I read a lot of interviews to just get a sense of what leads these women to the brothels and how they deal with that life. What struck me the most is how these women have still continued to find that strength and hope for a better life. They are fighters truly. I had to tap on Madhu’s strength and vulnerability. She has so much love to give in spite of lacking that love in her own life. She is a woman with a lot of self-respect and has learnt to find humor in the most difficult circumstances and that’s what makes her really special”

Taaza Khabar will be the first addition to the Hotstar Specials library in 2023, kicking off an exciting year for the platform.