It was important for me to stay in that zone to portray my character with honesty and authenticity: Arshin Mehta on The Diary of West Bengal

Arshin Mehta, who started her career with Bajrangi Bhaijaan and went on to star in movies like The Rally, Circle, Main Rajkapoor Ho Gaya, and web series such as Main Hero Bol Raha Hun and Pocket FM’s Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh, as well as in popular TV commercials like Jeevansathi, Dabur, and Imperial Blue, to name a few, will next be seen in The Diary of West Bengal as the protagonist. The film is set to hit theaters on August 30. She will portray the main lead, Suhasini Bhattacharya, and underwent several personal challenges to fully immerse herself in the character. 

She said, “Since I wanted to stay in character, I embraced Suhasini’s role as a refugee who wouldn’t have had access to luxury. I avoided sitting on chairs and preferred sitting on the ground, staying in my character's mindset by not talking to anyone much. Suhasini had gone through so much that she was always in her own zone, and I tried to remain in that same zone as well.”   

“I made sure to stay in the zone all the time. I would listen to music constantly, avoid talking to anyone, and even after the shoot was over, I would quietly go home and remain in the character's mindset. It was important for me to stay in that zone to portray Suhasini's character with honesty and authenticity, so people could truly relate to her,” she added.   Her character is a Hindu Brahmin girl from Bangladesh who takes refuge in West Bengal, India, after seeing the atrocities committed against Hindus in her country. She added, “However, upon arriving, she is shocked to discover that the situation for Hindus in Bengal is just as dire as in Bangladesh. This realization is overwhelming for her, especially since she expected to be safe in a Hindu-majority country.”   

Her character raises her voice as she tries to alert the Human Rights Council, the Government of India, and various ministries to the fact that Hindus in India are not safe either. “The movie follows Suhasini’s journey as she struggles against numerous obstacles, including becoming a victim of love jihad. A Muslim man offers her refuge, not revealing that he has spared her life while his friends killed other refugees. Suhasini's journey of survival and her fight for justice are at the heart of the movie,” she said.   

Arshin further revealed that her character was extremely intense because of the immense trauma Suhasini endured. “She witnessed her family being killed, leaving her deeply scarred and unable to live a normal life. Throughout the film, there were many intense scenes, and to do justice to the role, I kept listening to music that would help me stay in character and heighten the emotions needed for the scenes,” she said.   “One of the most challenging moments was when I had an important monologue, which I prepared for all day. I knew it was the most important scene in the movie, so I kept listening to that type of music to internalize the emotions. When I finally delivered the shot, even the director had tears in his eyes, and many people on set were moved to tears as well. I felt goosebumps while delivering those lines, and the emotional weight of the scene was deeply felt by everyone involved,” she added.