Mumbai Diaries’ second season shows many aspects, from the rigour demanded of doctors, to the devastation that was brought on by the 2005 Mumbai floods. But when we meet Konkona Sensharma, our conversation is centred on the show’s most urgent topic—domestic abuse. Sensharma’s Chitra seems to have almost healed from her abusive marriage. Yet, when faced with her perpetrator again, she begins to break. “This time, we dove deep into Chitra’s anxiety and panic attacks. It’s well-researched and well-written,” begins the actor. 

She walked into the role with the painful knowledge that women across strata face domestic violence. “It’s heartbreaking how common it is. Women who are smart, powerful, well-placed are all capable of being at the receiving end of it. Even toxic relationships are cycles that are hard to get out of. I have worked closely with women who have been through it. There are common patterns.”