Soha Ali Khan, Kritika Kamra, Ayesha Jhulka, Shahana Goswami and Tanuja Chandra on new OTT thriller 'Hush Hush'

What’s immediately appealing about the poster for new OTT series Hush Hush streaming now on Amazon Prime Video, is the impressive band of female actors that stare back at you.

Hush Hush, a seven-episode crime thriller, is led by a powerful cast of women that includes Juhi Chawla, Soha Ali Khan, Shahana Goswami, Kritika Kamra, Karishma Tanna and, in a much-anticipated on-screen comeback, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander star Ayesha Jhulka.

Director Tanuja Chandra in a conversation with City Times said, “Hush Hush is a crime drama but I would pit it as a female centric story.”

Juhi Chawla and Ayesha Jhulka both made their web debuts with Hush Hush, which revolves around friendship, dark secrets and deceit, bringing a Big Little Lies feel to the glitzy high society of Gurgaon.

Soha Ali Khan was “extremely excited” for her role of Saiba, a former journalist who is compelled to return to the field, she told City Times.

She shared, “I had always wanted to be a detective or an investigative journalist (in real life), like my character Saiba in Hush Hush. I remember when we used to live in Delhi, there was no gate at our house. There was one chowkidar who would fall asleep at night and we would come and go. We had a huge family; uncles, grand uncles and cousins… I was always been intrigued about what was happening in and around my neighbourhood. I used to go into my father’s office and make notes. Then I was told to stop doing this. My father also advised me once to never write anything down. I think as a person he was also quite ‘hush hush’!”

Soha admitted one of her biggest challenges was to get adjusted with the language that Saiba uses.

“Saiba is very colourful and she speaks her mind. I am a lot more reserved as opposed to Saiba. I talk a lot but I don’t give away too much. It was nice to play someone like that on screen.”

Evolution of roles for women

Ayesha Jhulka, who was last seen on screen in the 2018 film Genius, is “thrilled” to make her digital debut with Hush Hush, despite initial feelings of apprehension and nervousness.

“I had not taken up any work for years together and there was a huge gap, so I was not sure about facing the camera again. But, Tanuja was the biggest positive support. She did not give up on me; she kept on convincing me until I finally said yes.”

In Hush Hush, Ayesha plays Meera, a complex character unlike anything she has attempted in the past. She revealed, “I had taken a step back from work because I was not getting what I wanted to do, and then one fine day, I found the woman who had the confidence that I could do this. Hush Hush is something beyond imagination and beyond something we can see. Hush Hush will not only keep you engrossed, but it will also make you think, so one has to keep his/her mind open.”

What are her thoughts on the evolution of roles for women in Bollywood?

“I think roles for women are more nuanced and real now. Gone are the days when you had to pretend to be somebody you are not, now you have to get into the skin of the characters that are real and relatable. The norm of actresses having a shelf-life has been broken now, they’re getting more performance oriented roles, and OTT has been a source of this change. I think we’re lucky to be living in times where the characters are given more importance than anything.”

Satisfying character arcs

Shahana Goswami (Bombay Begums, A Suitable Boy) plays Zaira, a fashion designer, in Hush Hush and finds it ironic, considering she is “the least fashion conscious person”.

“I think there are always parts of the character that are not like you personally; while she has an acquired confidence, I don’t, but the commonality between Zaira and me is that we both don’t ask for help. She’s feisty, quiet and all out, which is again very different from how I am, but it's lovely playing the character. Zaira is a person who is tough on the outside but very soft on the inside, and I find such people endearing. While she looks all sorted, she has turmoil going on inside as well, but she’ll never show her vulnerable side as she doesn't want to burden others. She realizes and acknowledges that she’s not completely satisfied with her professional choices, though she is earning well. It takes a lot to be honest and truthful about how you feel, and I admire that.”

Kuch To Log Kahenge actor Kritika Kamra liked the vulnerability of her Hush Hush character, Dolly Dalal.

“It shows the journey of six female protagonists. It was a dream that I had in my heart for a long time ever since I started creating projects, and this was where it was headed to… telling fully fleshed out stories of several women in today's time. Hush Hush really is a show of our times, and it is an exciting story to tell about friends, what brings them together and threatens to tear them apart, things inside are hearts that fill us with anguish but also hope.”