Kirti Kulhari is a regular face on OTT now, having starred in shows like Four More Shots Please, Bard of Blood and Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors. In 2021, she starred in two films – The Girl on the Train and Shaadisthan – that were released on streaming platforms. Kirti insists she is not getting too comfortable in the zone in terms of the characters she plays, but OTT definitely feels like her own space. “I’m not in my comfort zone vis à vis the kind of work I’m doing, that’ll never happen. But yes, I kind of own this space, that is something I won’t deny because I have left a mark. OTT feels like home,” she accepts.
The actress is beginning 2022 with yet another web series, Human, that will be out on Disney+ Hotstar on January 14, post which she wants to take a break from intense drama and do something light-hearted. “It takes a toll on you because a series takes a long time to finish. It’s like doing five films. I’ve done some wonderful series with very important messaging, but now I want to focus more on features in 2022. I want to take a little break from web series unless something super mind blowing comes to me,” she tells News18.
Human is a medical thriller based on human drug trials in India. Kirti and actress Shefali Shah play the leads, along with Vishal Jethwa, Ram Kapoor, Seema Biswas, Aditya Srivastava and Mohan Agashe as part of the cast. Kirti plays 35-year-old Dr. Saira Sabharwal, who lands a dream job in Bhopal’s premiere hospital under the mentorship of 45-year-old Dr. Gauri Nath (Shefali). The two women start to form a deep bond over their commitment to the medical cause. However, a shocking discovery throws their life into chaos. The fictional series touches upon compelling themes like the value of human life, medical malpractice, class divide and ramifications of a fast-paced medical science.
Does her character represent the good in a world where a lot of bad things are happening? “I can’t give that away completely. She’s a good doctor, who will look after your concern. But there’s a lot of gray in between, which is the the fun part,” Kirti says, without divulging much about her role.
The medical profession is considered extremely noble, especially in a post-pandemic world. But here is one show that urges you to look at doctors as any other human being, with a good and a bad side. “We are depending a lot on the maturity of the audiences, that they will understand that this is a story with a lot of grey areas, and not just black and white. You can’t point out who is a hero and who is a villain. Haven’t we heard of doctors who, who don’t always do the right thing? They are also human beings. And that is the crux of the show. They have their own problems, weaknesses, and flaws,” Kirti elaborates.
Kirti ended 2021 on a high as she bought herself a bike – a Royal Enfield, no less – as part of her plan to make a road trip to Ladakh in 2022. “It actually feels quite empowering to ride a bike. I have been wanting to do a bike trip to Lakakh, because I have motion sickness and feel carsick. Three years ago when we were shooting for Bard of Blood there, Sahil, my ex-husband had come there and we went on a bike for a small ride. And I realized I didn’t feel the motion sickness on a bike. So I thought I could do a bike trip to Ladakh. But I don’t want to sit behind somebody, why can’t I ride my own bike? And I have to learn to ride it well before I take it to a terrain like that in Ladakh. Winter is a good time to ride a bike in Mumbai. So one after another it just fell into place. Also I listen to my gut and have become very carefree about these little things, I don’t think much, I just do them,” she says.
So is the Ladakh trip on the cards now? “I guess it will happen in June-July. I am a very good driver, I have that road sense, so I have the confidence, that I can handle the bike,” Kirti signs off.
