All-good or all-bad is boring. The magic lies in the grey, says Lara Dutta, echoing most actors’ sentiments. Which is why she relished playing the role of Manisha Saigal, a leading news channel’s primetime anchor, in Ranneeti: Balakot & Beyond. “My character is something of a spin doctor, and it is inspired by a couple of people who exist [in today’s journalism world]. These are powerful journalists who work behind the scenes, spinning narratives for people to see and [influencing their] perception,” says the actor. 

The JioCinema offering— also starring Jimmy Shergill, Ashutosh Rana, and Ashish Vidyarthi—is set against the backdrop of the 2019 Balakot air strike and offers a fictionalised retelling of the events. Every actor craves layered roles, but Dutta admits she could not have done justice to this character earlier in her career. “You need maturity to portray this character. You will see cynicism, lived experience, moments of weariness and frustration in her. I couldn’t have brought that to the table with less life experience under my belt.”