Former Miss India and a trained actor Apeksha Porwal recently took on an important role in Jio Cinema’s Honeymoon Photographer. In an exclusive chat with Bollywood Hungama, she opened up about her approach to her character Zoya, her experience as a tribal girl in her debut show Undekhi, and her transition from pageantry to acting.
EXCLUSIVE: Former Miss India Apeksha Porwal speaks on becoming Zoya for Jio Cinema’s Honeymoon Photographer; recalls doing action in jungles of Manali for debut show Undekhi, calls it “one big adventure”
Crafting Zoya in Honeymoon Photographer
When asked about creating the character Zoya, Apeksha credited the collaborative effort of the writers and director, noting that much of her inspiration came directly from the script.
“Most of the things I draw for any character are from the script itself; from what the writers have written, from what the director has in mind. It’s a very combined effort of coming together to create this character,” she explained.
Apeksha highlighted how Zoya reflects parts of her own personality, particularly her modern outlook, yet the internal complexity of the character made it distinct from her previous roles. “Zoya looks maybe a lot like me. She’s a modern girl. She dresses the way I would probably dress, but internally, I think she’s the most different character that I’ve done.”
Tackling the Action in Undekhi
Apeksha’s debut performance as a tribal girl in Undekhi left a lasting impression, with action sequences that showcased her versatility as an actor. She described the experience as “one big adventure.”
“I’m so grateful—it’s the best debut I could have asked for because I got to play a challenging character. She has very few lines, and it’s all about emoting and action. That was the first show I was able to be in Manali, in the jungles of Manali, and training for action and doing all the sequences. It was, for me, one big adventure. Yeah, that’s what I can call it was like one big adventure.”
Challenges of the Role
Portraying the tribal character wasn’t without its challenges. Apeksha recalled the physical hardships of shooting in the freezing cold of Manali. “My character was wearing just one layer of clothing—basically rags—while everyone else around me had jackets and gloves. But when I’m in character, I can sort of switch off from these external circumstances.”
From Miss India to Acting: A Transformative Journey
Apeksha candidly shared that acting wasn’t always her goal. Winning Miss India had been her childhood dream, but the curiosity to explore acting came later. “For me, I always wanted to be Miss India. Acting wasn’t my childhood dream, but after winning Miss India, I became very curious about the craft.”
To fully commit to this new path, Apeksha dedicated herself to training. “I didn’t want it to be like, ‘Now I’m Miss India, so let’s try acting.’ These are two very different fields. Miss India is all about being your best self, while acting is about forgetting yourself and becoming someone else.”
She immersed herself in acting workshops, theatre, and a nine-month acting school program, ensuring that her transition into the world of acting was both thoughtful and deliberate. “When I was sure that I really enjoyed the craft, not just everything else that comes with it, I decided to pursue acting as my career.”
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