Anshul Chauhan on how working on the Riteish Deshmukh-starrer Pills has changed her views on the pharmaceutical industry
Anshul Chauhan
Anshul Chauhan usually never paid heed to the supplements she gulped down, believing they contribute to better health. This was true until she shot for Pill in March last year. The recently released JioCinema series—fronted by Riteish Deshmukh—is a fictional tale that focuses on the underbelly of the pharmaceutical industry and the rampant corruption in the medicine control department of the Indian government.
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The show has made the actor conscious of medicines, so much so that she now restricts her family from taking unnecessary pills. “I am one of those who took supplements every day,” says Chauhan. “When I started working on this project, though it is fictional, I learnt about how medicines are made. In fact, we shot a few scenes in pharmaceutical companies where I saw the making and packing of medicines. I also learnt about how tests sometimes are done on random people, but since it’s marketed as a [life-saver], we don’t question it. I am now more aware of it and stop my family from popping pills for headaches. I don’t even have [painkillers] for period cramps anymore,” explains Chauhan, adding that it is better to improve one’s lifestyle than add supplements.
Anshul Chauhan and Riteish Deshmukh in Pill
While director Raj Kumar Gupta helped her understand the inner turmoil of her character, Chauhan says she also took help to get the dialect right. “I was in Kerala when I got the call to audition for the show. After coming on board, I didn’t have much time to prep. I had a meniscus tear on my knee, which prevented me from going to the workshops. To get my dialect right, I consulted a friend. I used only about 10 per cent of Punjabi in my dialogues,” the actor says, adding that except for chats with the director, she was unable to meet anyone until the shoot began.
While the show has opened to mixed reviews, Chauhan is unperturbed as she hopes that the series will be widely watched in the days to come. Up next, she has Anushka Sharma’s Chakda Xpress. She says, “I have that in the pipeline, but I am not aware when it will release.”
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