Zoya Afroz on her role in Taskaree: Priya’s power lies in observation

Zoya Afroz features as Priya Khubchandani in Taskaree: The Smuggler’s Web, a character shaped by the systems she operates within as much as by her personal choices. Talking about what drew her to the role, Zoya explains that Priya’s internal conflicts mattered more to her than surface traits. She says, “What drew me to Priya was her internal negotiation, between conscience, ambition, and survival. I didn’t want to ‘prepare’ her as a role but rather understand the systems she’s navigating. I spent time studying how institutions shape behavior, how people learn to appear compliant while making quiet choices underneath. Priya isn’t loud or rebellious. She is observant, and that’s where her power lies.”

Working under Neeraj Pandey’s direction proved to be a defining experience for the actress. Speaking about his approach, she says, “Neeraj sir doesn’t spoon-feed emotion. He’s more interested in logic as to why a character makes a choice at a particular moment. That forces you to think rather than emote. His direction is precise but never rigid. Once the intent is clear, he trusts the actor completely. That trust is rare, and it pushes you to be honest rather than dramatic.”

The series is headlined by Emraan Hashmi, and Zoya says sharing screen space with him influenced her own performance. She says, “Emraan brings an unusual stillness to intense material. Working with him made me more attentive to silence and nuance, and to what’s being withheld rather than spoken. It’s a very mature way of approaching drama, and not making it bombastic, especially in a patriotic heavy narrative. That said, he’s also incredibly grounded and fun to work with. Between takes, there’s a lot of easy humour, which keeps the set relaxed and balanced.”

Reflecting on what she hopes audiences take away from her performance, Zoya keeps the focus on the character’s moral complexity. She says, “I hope they sense the quiet cost of compromise. Priya isn’t a symbol or a statement. She’s a person making incremental choices, some brave, some flawed. If viewers come away thinking about how systems shape individuals and how agency exists even within constraints, I’ll feel I’ve done my job. Any commendations for a job well done is of course a welcome bonus.”