Interview: Neelam Kothari on Marvel's acting gig, Fabulous Lives new season and more

Think Jean Grey, the most powerful mutant from the club of Marvel’s X-Men and you’d instantly think of Sophie Turner (of Game of Thrones fame) or Dutch actress Famke Janssen who beautifully portrayed the insurmountable force of power in X-Men films, much before the MCU era of Infinity War and Thanos. Cut to now, we have our own Jean Grey in 80s Bollywood actress Neelam Kothari who voiced the unmissable character in Audible Original Marvel’s Wastelanders: Wolverine which premiered on March 13.

With Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives season 3 in the works, Marvel’s Wastelanders voice acting gig, and her jewellery business thriving, we spoke to Neelam Kothari who spoke about coming back to acting with a bang, trying out new things in life and never shying away from challenges.

Here are the edited excerpts from the exclusive chat:

WION: Neelam it’s been decades since you’ve been acting. Do you enjoy the camera? Had you always planned for this comeback?

Neelam Kothari: I never planned. I obviously do enjoy the fact that I'm back with a bang. Yeah, I think, I've got my calling, after so many years to make a comeback and, be part of the limelight and the industry once again. It's a great, great feeling.

WION: How is this Neelam different from the one we saw romancing actors around a tree in romantic numbers?

Neelam Kothari: I mean, I'm the same person.You know, there is no change. I'm still young at heart.

Neelam's stint with Audible Original Marvel's Wastelanders podcast

WION: Can you tell us more about your experience bringing Jean Grey to life in this Hindi adaptation?

Neelam Kothari: I'm very new to this whole Marvel Universe. When I was approached, I was super excited, and, you know, when they sent me the script and the character sketch of Jean Grey, there was no question or doubt in my mind, whether I should or should not do this. I just loved the character and I love the fact that, you know, she's into the well-being and education of students.

WION: How do you think your portrayal of Jean Grey in this podcast series resonated with the audience, especially those familiar with the character?

Neelam Kothari: I think every character, not just specifically Jean Grey, will resonate with each person. I think everyone's going to find something that they resonate with.

WION: For the audio medium, how do you approach the challenge of conveying emotions and character depth solely through your voice, without the aid of visual cues?

Neelam Kothari: Well, in the beginning, it was a little challenging, because this is a new format, which I've never done before. In films earlier, I've always sort of, dubbed for my version of a scene or a dialogue but this was different. Here, I had to get into someone else's character, which is not something that I've played but only have read. It was very different from when you enact it in front of the camera, and you're doing it behind the camera.

Also with Audible, they were very specific with how they wanted the dialogues. In the beginning, I found it a little difficult but then I just sailed through it eventually and I got into Jean Gray's character, the whole sort of format. I enjoyed the experience.

WION: When you signed on to this podcast, how did you expect this gig to turn out? What were your expectations from the venture?

Neelam Kothari: When I was told that it's going to be in Hindi, I said to myself, “Okay, Hindi is really not my forte.” It never has been. And in the beginning, I thought it would be a challenge. But when I was given my lines, I just dived straight into it, and it was a breeze. I thought it would be a little more difficult, but I think I sailed through it. I enjoyed this, especially the dramatic scenes that you’ll love but for that, you’ll have to listen to it.

Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives season 3 in works

WION: So what news about Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives next season?

Neelam Kothari: Right. So, I've got season three of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives coming out. That should be coming out towards the end of the year. We'll discuss it at length when the time comes, haha. But yes, I'm super excited about that.

Watch Neha Dhupia's interview here:

Marvel’s Wastelanders: Wolverine is based on the popular English series of the same name. The Hindi adaptation of this season which premiered on March 13 brings together the much-loved characters to fight for justice and to regain order in a post-apocalyptic future where Marvel’s Super Villains have gained control of the world and have been in power for more than 30 years after a near-fatal incident killed nearly all Super Heroes.

Marvel’s Wastelanders: Wolverine features many leading Hindi actors including Sharad Kelkar, Mithila Palkar, Neelam Kothari, Aadil Khan, and Chandan Roy Sanyal among others, artistically directed by Mantra Mugdh.