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Jennifer Winget on her return to TV: I'm waiting for something that I've never done before; EXCLUSIVE
Jennifer Winget talks about Code M, her return to TV, doing powerful roles, and more.
Actor Jennifer Winget is back with a bang with the second season of her show, Code M. She is thrilled to reprise the tough-headed and no-nonsense role of Major Monica. In an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, Jennifer shared her excitement, return to TV, and her opinion on the digital medium flourishing. Read on:
What are your feelings about the release of Code-M?
It's extremely exciting, nerve-racking, and overwhelming. I'm so happy with the response that the trailer has received. Till the show releases, I am just basking in that glory because that's the real test.
It is a woman-centric show, and how does it feel to be the literal hero of a show? Do you relate with your on-screen character, Major Monica?
For me to convincingly play any character. In all my characters there is a little bit of me. When it comes to Monica, she's a strong, badass, powerful, and a no-nonsense lady but at the same time, she's also a very normal girl, who has the same relationship issues that most women have. She goes out drinking, she has a life of her own. So, there are a lot of things that I can relate to with her. Not only me but there are a lot of women that can relate to her because women are used to wearing so many hats and they do it effortlessly with a smile on their face and sometimes with a kick on their asses (laughs). 
Beyhadh was also a strong character. So, what are the factors that you look into before signing up for a project?
For me, what's most important is how different are all my characters. Before Beyhadh, I also did a show called Bepannah, where I played a sweet girl, which is different from Beyhadh. As an actor, I need a canvas to perform and give something to a character that I have not already done before. I don't like to repeat myself. When I play a character, I give my all to it. If somebody offers me a similar character then there's nothing left in me to offer anymore. I get bored. It's not about playing a strong character or being the female lead, it's about being able to understand, as an actor, what I can do and also what I can't do. I will only learn if I try doing different things. This is the only logic behind taking up a project.
Yours and co-actor Tarun Virwani's onscreen chemistry is being lauded by the audience. Do you think sharing an equation offscreen enhances the scenes?
I am an actor. It's my job to convince people of the emotions that I am portraying on screen. I have been working for a very long time and I have been very fortunate enough to have amazing co-stars. That chemistry has to be there otherwise the audience won't feel it. I've been lucky to have amazing co-actors all throughout my career, and that has helped me with the performance. It's not just one person's effort, it's the entire team. When everybody is on the same page, the same vision and that's when there is heart in that project, and the project has to do well. It's a job and I really enjoy my job, that's all I can say.
Your Instagram posts are often hailed but does it add any kind of pressure to stay active on social media, or do you go at your own pace?
Absolutely not. You see my social media, I am not a very avid user. I only post when there is something that I believe in. It's fun. It's nice to show people the side of me that they don't usually get to see on TV or when I am playing a certain character. So, I enjoy it because I don't do it too much.
We can see that you are ruling the OTT platform. What is your opinion about the medium's boom?
The OTT boom is amazing. In the last 2 years, it's not just the makers that have evolved but it's the audience that has evolved. Since we were all at home and watching content all across, not just in India but globally also there was so much content. People are open to experimenting with scripts and characters. People still get typecast, don't get me wrong, and they are offered similar kinds of roles every other day. I won't say that we have reached there, it's a gradual shift and I am happy that there is so much work and at the same time there are so many actors and so many scripts. So, right now it is a melting point of everything. We don't know which direction it is heading in but I am in for the ride.
Any chances of doing a TV show sometime soon?
I don't know about TV but never say never. I am waiting for something that I have never done before. I have played all kinds of roles - the kind of bahu, beti, the psycho girl (laughs). So, unless and until something path-breaking is offered, we'll wait and see.
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