Karisma Kapoor, Soni Razdan shot for Brown around Ranbir-Alia wedding: ‘We became family’

Karisma Kapoor is all set to return to streaming two years after Homi Adajania’s Netflix India crime comedy Murder Mubarak with Abhinay Deo’s investigative thriller show Brown. The series, which went on floors back in May 2022, is finally streaming on ZEE5. It also stars veteran actor Soni Razdan as the mother of Karisma’s titular character Rita Brown.

“The interesting thing is Brown started around the same time that Ranbir and Alia got married. So, while the show progressed, we became family,” Karisma tells SCREEN in an exclusive interview. Her cousin Ranbir Kapoor tied the knot with Soni Razdan’s daughter Alia Bhatt at their Bandra residence in April 2022, which was attended by their family members and close friends. “I got to know Karisma through this show actually. I didn’t know her at all. We’d just met at family functions. But we became very close,” adds Soni.

Karisma Kapoor, Soni Razdan’s onscreen dynamic

In the show Brown, while Karisma Kapoor plays a senior cop battling the trauma of losing a loved one, Soni Razdan’s character is the light breeze she needs once a day. The mother keeps asking her daughter if she’s eaten. But that question comes less from lack of imagination on part of the writers, and more from a mother’s concern for a daughter who’s only operating on pills and alcohol.

“Rita Brown is going through so much in her life. She’s worn down and burdened. Her mother loves her daughter so much that she makes their equation so affectionate and lighthearted. That’s really endearing because it adds a different layer to the story,” says Karima. “A mother-daughter relationship is so special. So, in the grittiness, depth, suspense, and murder of the show, this is the lighthearted part, where you see a very different side of Rita, her mother, and her aunt. It puts a smile on your face,” she adds.

Karisma Kapoor embraces her darkest role yet in ZEE5’s web series Brown.

But Soni Razdan’s character gives it straight to her daughter, instead of throwing a pity party for her. Soni says it didn’t take too long for her to crack their onscreen equation. “For me, its always the script first. It’s all there on page. If you’re lucky enough to get a detailed script and a director like Abhinay, he knows exactly what he wants. He knew exactly the dynamic he wanted from us. So, it just sprung from that, and then you just stick to the flow, and something happens,” she says.

Karisma points out that besides their newfound family connect, what also helped their onscreen pairing was the fact that both are mothers of daughters. “Of course, Soni aunty is such a loving mother. Then I’m a mom, and there’s a family connect. Everybody on the show was so immersed in the show because the amount of workshop or the detailing that went into everything also helped us bring about that,” adds Karisma.

Karisma Kapoor and Soni Razdan’s career choices

Karisma Kapoor, a leading star of the 1990s and the early 2000s, took a backseat from acting after marrying late Delhi-based businessman Sunjay Kapur in 2003. After giving birth to her kids Samaira and Kiaan, separating from Sunjay, and relocating to her hometown of Mumbai a few years later, she attempted a comeback with Vikram Bhatt’s 2012 horror romance Dangerous Ishhq, but that didn’t yield desired results.

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However, like most of her contemporaries and seniors, Karisma has found a comfort space on streaming. She made her OTT debut with the dramedy show Mentalhood on ALTBalaji in 2020, before following it up with Murder Mubarak and now, Brown. “The kind of person I am, I work from my heart, and not from the head. If I feel like doing something, I would. If I don’t, I’m just not interested,” says Karisma.

While she was even reluctant to take on the role of Rita Brown, the same can be said for her part of a has-been actor, Shehnaaz Noorani in Murder Mubarak. “Homi is a school friend. He was a few years older than me. We know each other for many, many years. We used to the same club as kids, and we had a lot of common friends. So, when he told me to do it, I was like, ‘No.’ Then he told me, ‘No, no, it’s a very quirky character, you must do it. And it’s just a few days’ work.’ So, I said, ‘Chalo, kar lete hain,” says Karisma.

Karisma Kapoor in Murder Mubarak.

But her titular role in Brown is poles apart. “It’s a very difficult role. It’s a very quiet pain. Rita Brown is a woman of a few words. When she’s pulled out from what she’s going through to take over this investigation, you see her grow along with the investigation. That’s a different side to see in a show,” she says. But doing such a serious part hasn’t made Karisma a ‘serious’ actor. “I’ve never taken myself seriously. I just love to act. I want to give it my best shot, and then I just leave it to my audience and fans,” she adds.

Meanwhile, Soni Razdan, who has never shied away from being a part of ensembles, has headlined films even in her 60s, like Yours Truly (2018) and Songs of Paradise last year. “I’m mostly a part of an ensemble. Very rarely you get to the opportunity to headline a film at my stage of life. It’s more work, and there’s more to chew on as an actor. More is dependent on you. But I always enjoy it. That’s my dream obviously,” she says.

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Soni Razdan in Songs of Paradise.

“But ensembles are always fun. That’s mostly the way it is. In fact, people ask me, ‘You still do movies or what?’ I said, ‘Yes, many’ (laughs). I guess there’s so much out there these days that it’s difficult for people to keep track on an actor. But when I get a chance to sink my teeth into a character, it’s the best time for me,” adds Soni.

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Along with Soni, Karisma also found an unlikely scene partner in singer Shaan, who plays her dead husband in Brown. “It was very refreshing. He was very nervous to perform, but I think it’s a very interesting casting because he has a very romantic bit. Along with his music and feel, I feel he’s done really well,” says Karisma.