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Playing Rose Lizo, and becoming a part of a show that captures the cultural and political nuances of the North-East, actor and content creator Merenla Imsong talks to us about Paatal Lok season 2 and more.
With the influx of content and platforms that offer them, it’s become more than difficult to find stories that truly engage and impact us. But every now and then we come across a few sterling stories that highlight the real-world issues that we often fail to recognise. Shows like Paatal Lok have become our mirror to learn and understand the atrocities that certain communities face. While these shows are driven by their impactful stories, we cannot ignore the actors who add the juice to authentically share these stories. Merenla Imsong’s character Rose Lizo from the recent season of the show is one such character who was able to make the already impactful story interesting.
Known for her peculiar style of content and comedy on social media, Merenla is a content creator who has managed to have her audience. However, as opposed to her internet personality, Merenla plays Rose, a drug addict trying to navigate life as she deals with her addiction. The audience experiences a more refined and genuine version of her personality as the creator strives to provide an authentic glimpse into the character's life. She effectively portrays the character with a sense of vulnerability that the sensitive nature of the story requires. When it comes to bringing Rose to life, there is a lot that the actor-creator has to share, and she sat down with us to describe this experience.
Also Read - Paatal Lok season 2 review: This season elevates the art of making the invisible visible
Here's what she said!
Rose Lizo left a lasting impression on the audience. What drew you to this role in Paatal Lok, and how did you approach the character?
In all my years of auditioning, I have never come across a character as beautifully written as Rose Lizo. I was terrified that I would either be recast or not be able to pull it off. I took the usual route of research - documentaries, YouTube interviews, in-person interviews as well as looking back at my own childhood and remembering close ones who have battled addiction. It was quite an emotional journey. Two things that completely broke me down but also helped me understand the character were a trip to a Narcotics Anonymous meeting and a YouTube interview where a woman spoke about how she didn’t want her children to go through what she has. My view of Rose changed from pity to empathy and I started admiring her resilience and her courage. I think that’s when I fully understood who she was.
How different is the creative process of making content for social media compared to acting for films or web series?
I think with content creation, the focus is on the self while in acting, the focus is on the character. You shed all vanity when you are acting. With content creation, we are just making caricatures but with acting, we are living through our characters and laying bare our emotions.
How important was it for you to be a part of a project that brought the North-East into mainstream Indian storytelling?
When I had auditioned, I had not read the script nor did I know the story. But I had watched the first season and it gave me enough confidence to know that the makers knew what they were doing. The decision to use nagamese, which is a huge risk, just showed the gumption they had to push the envelope and I just knew I had to work hard to be a part of this, no matter what the role was.
The show uses a murder investigation to unravel deeper societal issues. How do you think this approach helped in highlighting the cultural and political nuances of the North-East?
As a Naga it felt so good to watch a show where my state and my people have been represented with utmost care and sensitivity.
It’s so nice to see how the bar for representation has been set, and I hope it will continue with our neighbouring states and that people start to realise that we, the sister states, are not a monolith but a group of distinct states with our own distinct identities, language and culture.
How do you think mainstream media can better represent the diversity and richness of North-Eastern cultures without falling into stereotypes?
We just want to be cast as regular people. That’s all.
What was it like working with such a stellar cast?
After pack up, each evening we would gather at Tillotama’s room for tea. It became a ritual. I was surrounded by special people who treated me like family. I went hiking with Tillotama, shopping with Jaideep, discussed books with Ishwak and a huge group of us went to church on Christmas Day and enjoyed a sumptuous meal after service. There was just a lot of love and respect for everyone. We were not thinking for ourselves, but invested in helping each other because we knew we were making something special. There was a lot of pride and joy in what we were creating.
Are there any dream roles or genres you’d love to explore in the future?
I would love to be typecast as a character actor. I love characters who show up on screen, topple the story and just disappear leaving you wanting more. They are tough to pull off but always make the most compelling characters. I hope I get to explore this.
Have you watched Merenla Imsong in Paatal Lok S2 yet? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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