Mandala Murders: Vaani Kapoor and Surveen Chawla say there was no insecurity while sharing screen space together

When two actresses with powerful roles share the screen, the tension of wanting to shine can often linger just beneath the surface. But when Vaani Kapoor and Surveen Chawla came together for Mandala Murders, by their own admission, there was no such competitive vibe on set.Vaani plays a determined detective, while Surveen has stepped into the shoes of a sharp local politician in the Gopi Puthran and Manan Rawat-directed series. Reflecting on how they avoided letting insecurity seep in despite portraying equally strong characters, Vaani shared, “I think it’s unspoken respect for one another and the craft. Instead of thinking about grabbing all the limelight for a scene, you can enhance it by just being silent and being present for your co-actor when they are doing their lines (and give cues).

It’s not something one needs to ask of the other person. It’s just unspoken mutual respect.”Surveen, who comes from a television background and has worked on daily soaps alongside other female leads explained, “In the end you are serving a bigger purpose. You’re not one versus the other, you are with each other. When a part is written there are some scenes that are just yours. There is a moment in the arc that comes where every part peaks, right? And in that moment when it’s somebody else’s turn to peak, I think you have to ignite that fire in them even with your silences.

There’s no scope for insecurity. There is an individual sport and then there is a team sport. This is not an individual profession after all, it’s about team sport.”