Sarayu Blue: Journey of Alternatives for South Asian Characters – From ‘Leela’ to ‘Expats’ |

Sarayu Blue, the gifted actress who has develop into a distinguished face on the OTT house along with her appearances in teen rom-coms like ‘To All The Boys: At all times and Without end’ and the collection, ‘By no means Have I Ever‘, will tackle a extra mature topic this time round with the brand new Prime Video collection ‘Expats‘. In an unique interview with ETimes, Sarayu displays on her evolution from her debut in ‘Leela’ to her pivotal function within the Lulu Wang collection.
The actress lets us into the collection that explores delicate matters, from navigating feminine friendships and marriage to household dynamics and voicing ladies’s scepticism about embracing motherhood. Because the highlight turns to Sarayu, she additionally shares her ideas on the potential of starring in an Indian movie manufacturing, ought to the chance ever come alongside. Excerpts:
Sarayu, you might be one of many greatest names on OTT, starring in all of the hit reveals and movies. So let’s start by asking the identical query Nicole Kidman asks you, “Do you think about your self residing a totally completely different life?”
Sarayu Blue: Ah, wow! I really like my life. I really like this life that I am attending to stay. I really like each factor of it. So no, I’ve to say I really feel extra like I am residing my dream.
How has your skilled life in Hollywood modified through the years because you first began out in ‘Leela’? You needed to audition for this function?
Sarayu: It is modified loads. I really feel actually grateful, as a result of, once I actually first began, the alternatives have been fairly small, very, only a few and much between, particularly for South Asian characters. I feel that it has grown by leaps and bounds, and there are such a lot of folks creating unbelievable alternatives now. And sure, I auditioned for this. However even understanding a task like this exists, what an unbelievable reward! I simply really feel so grateful to get to witness this.

Talking of ‘Expats’, it has packed quite a lot of womankind’s fears right into a six-part collection…
Sarayu: It has! That is an effective way to place it.
…And your character Hillary takes on fairly a couple of of them… what was that like, to provide a voice to so many of those battles fought in secret?
Sarayu: I actually think about it an honour and it makes me completely satisfied to see these questions and this house held for such questions. It isn’t one thing that we see ladies get to ask fairly often in society. And so the journey that Hillary goes on particularly within the present is one which I feel is admittedly distinctive to see depicted. It felt like a storyline that I actually resonated with. You actually watch this grownup girl develop up and we do not see that always.
We see quite a lot of grownup ladies who know themselves and that is the story and that is how it is going to go. There’s one thing so unpredictable about the entire ladies’s storylines on this present, for Essie, for Mercy and for Margaret as effectively. To see the unpredictability of it feels a lot like life and I liked that.
How a lot of your self would you say you noticed in your character? And in addition, what was it like exploring these advanced feminine relationships, particularly with Nicole?
Sarayu: I liked truly attending to delve into that as a result of I feel friendship as adults actually modifications. I’ve seen so many mates of mine, together with me, going by these moments with friendships the place we’ve got to navigate them in a manner that we might by no means have anticipated. There are many conversations on the earth about easy methods to navigate a love relationship or romantic relationship, however easy methods to navigate your friendships as you develop and alter is one thing that we do not see usually. So what a fantastic factor to get to see on display and provides folks house to say, oh, that is truly regular. That is a part of life.
Identical factor with watching Hillary surprise if she needed to be a mother. I believed that was a fantastic journey to see and definitely one I’ve resonated with at instances as any individual who’s additionally child-free. I liked the house for the questions, watching Hillary say, ‘What if I do not know’, asking her husband, asking her buddy, asking her mother. It is a fantastic query that I want extra folks have been allowed to ask. I hope Expats presents that house for folks.
And at last, the Indian movie business is booming, particularly within the U.S. So I’ve to ask, do you see your self starring in an Indian manufacturing someday sooner or later?
Sarayu: Nothing could be extra thrilling. Nothing would make my dad and mom extra proud. It’d truly make my dad proud for the primary time. No, I am kidding. He is so proud. He is fantastic and he is so supportive. However sure, that may be magnificent. In reality, I feel my buddy simply did a present, a film.