Interview | Gaslight actor Chitrangda Singh: 'Script is the king in this film'

Chitrangda Singh rarely does movies these days, much to the chagrin of her fans (this scribe very much included). She was last seen in 2021's Bob Biswas, and essayed the role of Mary Biswas, the wife of Abhishek Bachchan's titular character. But even before that, she had preferred quality over quantity. It is no surprise then that her return to films with the upcoming mystery thriller Gaslight, directed by Pavan Kirpalani, has been generating a lot of interest... "buzz" as we say in the era of social media and trends. It must be a special project to pique her interest, the thinking goes.

Also featuring Vikrant Massey, Sara Ali Khan, Akshay Oberoi, and Rahul Dev, the film is a whodunit in a classical way. It is set in a mansion and follows Sara's Misha, who tries to uncover the truth behind her father's disappearance.

Chitrangda sat down with WION to speak about the film, her love for murder mysteries, working with Sara and Vikrant, and more. Here are edited excerpts from the interview:

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Can you reveal anything about the plot?

The teaser of the film [it showed Chitrangda, Sara, and Vikrant meeting in a lift, and realising they are part of the same project] was just to give you an idea of the three actors in the film and the fact that they're probably getting together for something which is mysterious. So it kind of leaves you there that all three are going to get stuck into something that is going to be mysterious and scary.

Are you a fan of murder mysteries? The Agatha Christie kind?

Yeah, I love them. I watched Knives Out, and thought it was fantastic. I also love Misery (Kathy Bates-led 1990 Stephen King adaptation about an author who encounters a deranged fan), and it is an all-time favourite.

Without giving away any spoilers, can you talk about your favourite scene in the film?

I cannot utter a word. I can tell you what I liked the most about the script. We discussed Knives Out. Sometimes thrillers are very plot-centric, right? They have such slow reveals. It's the beauty of the writing, and the script. It's the beauty of the three characters and who they are and what they are becoming. I think that is what people enjoy. So it's not just one scene, but how the whole film unravels, every character starting off somewhere and ending up somewhere else. Human nature is also at work. So it's all of that. The script is really the king inthis film.

I like the combo: you, Sara, and Vikrant. How was it like working with those two?

It was lovely working with them. Both are very good and very different actors. And I feel it was a great idea. The casting itself kind of sets you up for interesting scenes. And Vikrant... I don't have to say, he's such a good actor. Sara has amazing energy on screen. And everybody was so involved in the film. Everybody prepped for the film, worked with the acting coach. We had a great time.

You talked about Knives Out. Any such preferences in Bollywood?

Not a murder mystery, but I loved that film with Tabu and Ayushmann Khurrana. What was the name!" (here she struggles to recall and gives a sigh of frustration before I chime in with Andhadhun). "Andhadhun! I thought that was so well done. I really enjoyed that. I also loved that Varun Dhawan and Radhika Apte film... Badlapur! Varun was so good in that. If given the right material, actors can really perform.

Who is your idol?

My god, there are so many. Smita ji (Patil), Shabana ji (Azmi), Rekha ji, Zeenat Aman, Waheeda Rehman, Madhu Bala. They're all so different from each other. So I think the whole idea is to really be yourself at the same time.

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