After making her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Fan six years ago, followed by some more projects, former model Waluscha De Sousa is now in the spotlight for her role of the silent but strong Zainab Riaz in Tanaav, the desi adaptation of the Israeli hit series Fauda. A candid chat with Waluscha.

What worked for you in Tanaav?

In Tanaav, I play someone who is completely removed from who I am. I have completely shed my glamorous side and have played a de-glam role of someone from the grassroots. People didn’t expect to see me play this simple Kashmiri woman. People are saying, ‘Wow, we are seeing a deeper level performer that we didn’t get to see earlier’. This response has been really overwhelming. I had hoped for it, of course, but I didn’t expect it in the way it came to me. I am just sitting and thinking, ‘Did this really happen to me?’

There seems to have been such a shift with this character. Escaype Live (on Disney+Hotstar) released just a few months ago. In Tanaav, the portrayal of a simple woman, the dialogue delivery, the direction... everything put together made for a solid character that stood out.

I believe you were the one who pursued the makers for a part in the show once you learnt that a remake of Fauda was being made...

Yes. So many of us have watched Fauda and I just loved this woman’s character (Nassrin Hamed, played by Hanan Hillo in the original) in particular. When I heard Fauda was being remade here, I approached casting directors and tried to find out how to be a part of it because I loved the show and I loved the simplicity of the women in it.

When I sent my audition tape, I told them, ‘I don’t care... just give me any role in it’. It’s just that I believed in the story and I really felt like it would be told well and I wanted to be a part of it. But at the back of my mind, I wanted to play this lady because just something about her struck me... this calm strength that she had. She is playing Panther’s wife (‘Panther’ is played by Sumit Kaul) and has the confusion in her head of whether she should back her husband in what he is doing which is unethical... this simplicity about her attracted me. And then the strength that comes with it. Also, the decisions that she has to make.

But one can’t be picky and when I sent my audition, I was just hoping to land any role. I was hoping to get this simply because it’s different from what I have done before. I wanted people to go beyond the hair, make-up and glamorous image and focus on the performer in me.

Offbeat cinema is attracting me a lot more now. The taam-jhaam of make-up and hair, I feel that there is no need for it. The purity of the story, the rawness of the characters I am playing is what I am going for now...

And the times, creative-wise, are also conducive for how you want to take things forward...

Sure. We are watching a lot of content that is very raw, content that is relatable... it’s so real. I like that kind of storytelling. Producers and directors are thinking very differently from how they thought before. Makers are looking at coming up with stories that haven’t been told before. There is so much more for a woman to do now. I really admire Shefali Shah and the kind of amazing work that she has been doing. The kind of roles that are conceived for women and around them are limitless.

It’s a great time for an actor, irrespective of gender. It’s not about how good you look or whether you can dance... it’s about whether you fit the bill and whether you can pull off a character. And if you do, then you make the cut.

How has playing Zainab improved you as an actor?

I had to learn how to speak Kashmiri. I had to sit with a diction coach, learn a new language and how to deliver it because it needs to sound authentic. I had to learn how to carry myself in a burqa. How she would sit to pray and how she would hold the Quran. I had to unlearn a lot of things and go back to the simplicity of it, all because that’s what the character demanded.

It was an amazing experience with Sudhir sir (Mishra, director) and with Sachin Krishn, who directed a large part of what I did. He guided me in lending a special something to a line that would make it feel and sound different. I learnt to engage with my environment a lot more so that my flow of acting and delivering lines became a lot more organic and real. This series taught me what it feels like to be part of a larger story... to just blend in and become a part of a narrative.

What are the advantages of being part of an ensemble cast as big as that in Tanaav?

First of all, it’s a lot of fun. There is also a lot of learning... it’s about respecting your co-actor’s space and also creating something together. We set out to create something knowing that it has the potential of being magical if every actor understands that space. Knowing when to come in with a line and when not to... there is a lot of giving in an ensemble. You cannot be selfish as an actor.