The Railway Men actress Annapurna Soni opens up about starring opposite Kay Kay Menon, R Madhavan

Annapurna Soni, best known for her appearance in films and shows like Delhi Crime 2, Chhapaak, Rangbaaz and Sunflower, was recently seen in the Netflix series The Railway Men. The latest Netflix series has Annuparna Soni playing the character of Shazia inspired by the life of a woman who lost his husband in the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy.  In a recent media interaction, the actress spoke about her working experience on the show produced by Yash Raj films and directed by Shiv Rawail.

Watched interviews to learn body language, said Annapurna Soni

Speaking to DNA India, Soni described the shooting experience as ‘love and brilliant.’ The actress stated, “I’ve worked with such talented people, and was part of such a big series which itself was a major part of our history.” 

Talking about her preparation for the role, Soni informed that she read the news, photos and saw various internet videos of people who suffered from this tragedy, adding that this kind of research further helped her understand the importance of her character. Soni mentioned that she additionally watched interview videos of actors to understand how to grasp body language for any character, adding that she had a hold on her character within 2-3 days of going for the shoot. 

Tried to understand the mind state of a Muslim character: The Railway Men actress

Talking about her character Shazia, Soni said that this was the most challenging part of her career till date, especially because Shazia is the most contrasting to her real-life personality, and an extremely introvert girl. The actress added, “Secondly, it was of the time when I wasn’t even born. For the character to be understood properly, we need to understand that time period because people’s behaviour and thoughts change with time.” Soni also mentioned how it was unique for her to try and understand the mind state of a Muslim character. 

The Railway Men had its OTT premiere on November 18 on Netflix. The show revolves around the lives of three railway employees played by Kay Kay Menon, Babil Khan, and R Madhavan, who find their paths intertwined after the horrific Bhopal Gas Tragedy that unleashed on December 1.