Sayantani Ghosh on playing intense characters: Switching on and off is an essential part of our profession

Sayantani Ghosh, who plays the role of Maya in Jagadhatri, has been a part of the industry for two decades now and shared that with experience she has understood how to prepare for emotional scenes.

She said, "After almost twenty years of experience, preparation becomes more instinctive than technical. Once I commit to a project, I commit fully. I’ve been playing Maya for over three to four months now, and the lines between the real and the reel tend to blur."




"As actors, switching on and off is an essential part of our profession. The moment I step into Maya’s look, I become her. There’s no separate emotional preparation—it’s about sincerity, honesty, and complete commitment to the craft," she added.

She also mentioned that her character has evolved since the time she started. She said, "Maya came across as mysterious, and many assumed she would be a negative character. But as the story unfolded, audiences began to see her true layers—her fairness, her love for her family, and her moral compass. She has evolved into one of the most complex and multi-layered characters on the show."

Sayantani shared that her character connects with the audience as she is juggling multiple roles. She said, "She’s a businesswoman, a single mother, a sister, and a protector of her family’s reputation. That constant balancing act makes her extremely relatable. Like many working women, she’s dealing with personal struggles while maintaining a strong exterior, and that emotional truth helped me connect deeply with her journey."

Asked which scene from the current track was the most challenging for her, she said, "The emotionally vulnerable moments—especially those involving Maya’s broken marriage and her relationship with her daughter—are the most challenging. While Maya is strong and authoritative on the surface, her emotional breakdowns reveal her fragility."

"Scenes where she confronts her personal failures or is reminded of her past require a lot of emotional honesty," she added.

Sayantani also credited her co-actors for influencing her performance positively. She said, "Jagadhatri is a multi-starrer with very strong performers. The equation Maya shares with Jagadhatri, Shivay, and the rest of the family constantly evolves, and that dynamic definitely influences how scenes play out emotionally. When your co-actors are equally committed, it naturally elevates your performance."

She mentioned that the growing conflict between Maya and Jagadhatri will leave a strong impact on the audience. She said, "They respect and care for each other deeply, yet circumstances have placed them on opposing sides. That emotional contradiction—love versus truth—is something audiences are strongly responding to."

She is happy with the positive response from the audience and said, "Fans appreciate that Maya isn’t a straightjacket character. They like her strength, her vulnerability, and the fact that she isn’t portrayed as purely right or wrong. Audiences are loving the dynamic between two strong, positive women on screen."

What next? "There’s a lot yet to unfold—Maya’s past, the truth behind her separation from Sharad, and how she reacts when Shivay’s reality comes out. The biggest question is, when the truth surfaces, whom will Maya stand by—her family or the truth? That moral conflict excites me the most," she ended.