EXCLUSIVE: My father is the catalyst and also the wind beneath my wing, says Ishitta Arun

Ishitta Arun, is it true that you faced a camera when you were just three years old?
Yes, it is.

What was that for?
It was for an advertisement for ‘Vicks’ cough drops. It was one of those times when there were no other channels besides Doordarshan. That ad actually was a very pathbreaking ad because it was the longest running ad, very memorable recall value, and it had a girl blinking, which became a problem with Doordarshan in the 80s. later on, the advertising agency and the manufacturing company got it resolved.

How and when did you find your true calling?
My real calling is to do a bunch of things. Okay. And for a very long time, the narrative Indians especially, have been trying to feed their kids is that to find ‘THAT’ one thing to become a Jack of all. But what they didn't complete is that they didn't share that Jack of all is master of none is often better than the master of one! This was so very conveniently forgotten and widely ignored.

So, for a very long time, I liked a lot of things. And I always was kind of torn between other things and what was my true calling. I think experience in life has taught me now to embrace those gifts that I have got from the universe, which are talents. Now, it is acting, production and writing. It has taken me a while to embrace the fact that it is okay to be multi-talented, and have a diverse set of interests.

You are right now seen in a powerful role in the series ‘Scoop’. How has been the response to your role?
The series is based on Jigna Vora, her life and ordeal when she was a reporter. And she was framed for a murder that she did not commit. And she was a force to reckon with at the time. It’s about her fight and her journey. And there are players in the process of this entire narrative, starting from her then mentor and boss. I have a noteworthy presence in the series. In the sense, she (my character) plays an important role that often equals with her husband, and in many ways, he leans on her for some sort of moral compass, or direction. And that, she, in places, is there to support him. So, in that sense, that's the long and short of it. I play the role of Nelly, who is the wife of Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub's character of a journalist and Jigna’s then-mentor and boss. I am an ancillary character; I'm not playing a pivotal role in it.

Have you met Jigna in real life?
No, I haven't. I have read the book. And it's a really hair-raising story. That time was amazing. That time it was something else.

What are the parameters that you look into while you select any project?
In this case, it was very black and white. It was the director, the script and the subject, I would have been a fool to have said no to Hansal sir. It was my really great fortune to be cast in such a fantastic series. And even if it's a couple of things, for me, I was hungry to be rubbing shoulders with such a prolific director. It's a fantastically written script. What a pleasure it was to get off the page, and I can only imagine what he has done with it.

While the world knows you as well as your mother Ila Arun, not much is known about your father Arun. Can you tell us something about him?
He is the wind beneath my wing. My father is a retired sailor. He was the catalyst in bringing my mom to Bombay, encouraging her to go after her ambitions. The first television in my family was brought by my dad in the eighties, which was a black and white television.

How was it to work with Hansal Mehta?
That’s a very valid question. From nowhere, I was dropped in the middle of the shoot. When I saw them shooting, I was so very nervous. But, as time passed, he made me feel at ease so much. I just cannot express my gratitude towards him in mere words.

What are your future projects?
There are talks for a couple of projects. One of them is going on floors soon. But, it's too early to talk about any of them. At this point of my life and career, I am really raring to go. I am open to pushing the envelope as far as my performances are concerned. My hands are presently full. I just want it to be fuller. (smiles)

Your mother Ila Arun was way a head of times when she had crooned some of the hit tracks like ‘Nigodi kaisi jawaani’, ‘Chholi ke peechey’, ‘Haath mein botal’. Since you are also a singer besides being an actress, are there any plans of doing a 2.0 version of any of these cult classics of your mother?
I am now getting emotionally pressured by my own conscience to do that. But I had sworn that I will never sing, because I have a tall order and big shoes to fill. But I think my mother would be happy if I sang a song. For her, one day, I will sing for sure.

We all know Ila Arun as a singer and a performer. How is she as a mother?
She is the typical mother. She will scold me twenty times in a day. At the same time, she is supremely confident of my ability. So, I have to sing for her.

What about your two kids?
They are both very creative and musically inclined.

Before we wrap up, any golden words for ‘Scoop’?
Yes… please do not blink when you are watching ‘Scoop’. (smiles).