Ajay Devgn in Rudra

The Disney+ Hotstar series, which is an official adaptation of the British crime drama Luther, delivered on that count. Khanna reprises the role essayed by Ruth Wilson in the original, a sociopath helping Devgn’s cop character to understand the crimes. “I didn’t want to watch Luther. I wanted to create the character of Aaliyah all by myself, without taking any inspiration from the original. I play a sociopath, and most crime films we watch are based on psychopaths. There’s a world of difference between the two. Sociopaths have emotions. I watched Hannibal [2001] and read psychology books to create the character. I auditioned alongside over 200 people. This is a role that doesn’t need a pretty face to fill a space, doesn’t need a star. After so many years, someone said, ‘Chalo act karke dikhao.’”

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What does she hope to achieve with this show? She takes a pause before saying, “I don’t want to be known for my face and my body. I want to be a solid actor whose versatility should be remembered. An actor is defined by what their audience thinks of them. I want to be known for holding people’s attention in good parts.”

She credits leading man Devgn for being a pillar of strength. “Before I started the show, I was told he doesn’t talk much. We needed to vibe, given the chemistry between our characters on paper. There is a war of belief systems between Aaliyah and Rudra. I remember when I walked in on day one, he was so warm and kind. We spoke about our lines and how they should be done. We all relied on Ajay sir a lot.”