Prajakta Koli: Don’t even know how to throw a punch

Prajakta Koli on figuring out how to do action scenes in the audio series, Wastelanders

While fans are eagerly waiting for the third instalment of Mismatched, YouTube sensation and actor Prajakta Koli has been engrossed in different things. The boost from her last audio series, Desi Down Under, got her to sign up for Marvel’s Wastelanders: Hawkeye. She says that the Audible series that had her teaming up with Jaideep Ahlawat’s Hawkeye “got her nervous”, but she built her confidence under the tutelage of director Mantra Mugdh.

Having explored the Marvel universe with the Iron Man franchise, Koli says taking up the project was a no-brainer, especially playing a grey character. “Ash is not all-white. She is not someone who is doing things for the betterment of the world. She has her own selfish reasons; at the same time, she is protective of the people she loves. If anyone came to hurt them, she wouldn’t blink twice before shooting an arrow through their hearts. It’s similar to Hawkeye, who has also had his phases of being morally grey,” says the actor.

Interestingly, the first time Koli tried archery was during the promotion of Wastelanders. The actor explains that it was never a skill set she had to master before, and in addition to that, she has never been athletic. “I am different from Ash. [My character] wants to leave the house and do things. I, on the other hand, would love to just stay at home with my books. However, it was exciting to voice-act action. Of course, at first, it was awkward because you were standing in a studio with headphones, in sweatpants, and a t-shirt, [trying to pull off] a stunt. Mantra kept telling me to put my body into motion. I didn’t even know how to throw a punch. I am the last person you should pick in a fight or as a protector. My director got me to understand where Ash comes from, her emotions, and what changed her. He told me, ‘I don’t want you to become a good fighter. I want you to become as vulnerable as she is and see how you naturally react.’” Had this been happening visually, I would be prepping for months before the actual shoot,” shares Koli.

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