Mithya: Goldie Behl says he was unaware of Avantika Dassani’s family before casting her in Huma Qureshi’s show

On the heels of Huma Qureshi’s new series Mithya’s premiere, showrunner Goldie Behl has opened up about a casting decision related to one of its main leads. The filmmaker revealed that prior to casting Avantika Dassani in a pivotal role on the show, he had no idea that she was the daughter of Bollywood star Bhagyashree.

In a conversation with Hindustan Times, the filmmaker said that Dassani had gone through the ordinary steps in the casting and audition process, by auditioning with the casting director. None of them knew her background or family prior to the casting decision. The main reason that Dassani was chosen was that the makers wanted someone who was not well known, so that the audiences would not know what to expect from her, unlike the comparatively popular Qureshi who plays the role of the main lead. Behl also said that Dassani has a certain ‘unpredictability’ to her character, and that the casting director had found her ‘interesting’ for the role.

Behl also talked about how the series projects Qureshi in a role she had never done before. He said that the character showcases the actress’ vulnerable side, as she finds herself trapped and still continues to fight.

The series revolves around the story of a complex dynamic that arises between a teacher (Qureshi) and her new student (Dassani). Parambrata Chatterjee, Indraneil Sengupta and Rajit Kapur also feature in the show. The series is directed by Rohan Sippy and produced under the banner of Applause Entertainment. It is based on the 2019 British series called Cheat.

Mithya is available to stream on ZEE5.