Actress Apeksha Porwal has made her international debut with an Arabic show Slave Market. Set in the 1900s, the series sees Apeksha as an Indian princess. While only the first episode is out, an exclusive interview with News18.com, revealed that the series is filled with twists and turns that will keep viewers hooked.
“The show is larger-than-life and the theme is not easy, it’s a pretty complicated theme to touch upon. The writers have done a great job. Every story is about slavery but it is done differently, each story has a love story in it, there are quite a lot of different elements and I think it is going to be a beautiful ride. There are a lot of twists and turns one can expect," she said.
Apeksha also revealed that Slave Market features actors from different countries. “The show is in English and Arabic and has actors from all over the world. We have actors from India, the Middle East, England, the US, and a lot of different places. It features five parallel stories — including Indian, African, Arabic, and Caucasian stars in the center, I am the lead of the Indian line. It’s based in the 1900s, it’s a period show and it’s honestly a role that I have never done before, in this, I am playing an Indian princess and the show focuses on what happens to her," she said.
Asked her if she learned Arabic for the show, Apeksha revealed, “I speak a little bit of Arabic in the show where I am trying to learn Arabic, and now that I have been there for six months now, I have learned quite a bit of different languages from the cast and crew. It is a beautiful culture."
Traditionally, most Indian actors aim for the far West, with dreams of debuting in Hollywood movies. However, Apeksha sailed against the tide and experimented with the Arab film industry, showing a new perspective and introducing Indian audiences to another international market. Asked if it was a conscious decision to experiment with Arab cinema, Apeskha said that she always wanted to work in an international industry and Slave Market gave her the perfect avenue.
A new space brought in its share of challenges as well for Apeksha. However, Apeksha had one set rule — she will be open to adjusting. “I was very clear — if I was going to a whole new industry, it is me who has to adjust to their style of working. There were challenges. And in the show itself, the kind of scenes that I have, the story that we are narrating is pretty challenging but that to me is the fun of (doing a role like this)," she said.
Despite the new place, her co-stars and her team helped her settle in, especially her co-star Fayez Bin Jurays, a superstar in the Arabic industry. Speaking about him, Apeksha said, “When I met him for the first time, I was so pleasantly surprised — he’s a superstar in the Arabic film space but he was very down-to-earth. We shared a really good camaraderie and it was great working with him." She also praised the series’ director, award-winning Tunisian director Lassaad Oueslati. Calling him a ‘genius’, she counted herself ‘very lucky to work with him.’
Although Slave Market has just begun streaming, with a new episode dropping on a weekly basis, the makers are already preparing for season 2. “I am going to be leaving for season 2 soon. I’ve already shot a little bit of season 2 and now, we’re going to finish the rest," Apeksha revealed.
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