Papia Sengupta opens up about playing the unpredictable Kanchan Chotwani in Jamai No.1.
She shares how the audience’s appetite for complex, layered characters is shaping the future of television storytelling.
Papia Sengupta Reflects on TV’s Evolution After Two Decades in the Industry
Papia Sengupta, a familiar face in Indian television for nearly two decades, has seen content and audience preferences transform dramatically over the years. Now part of Jamai No.1, she plays Kanchan Chotwani, a character as unpredictable as she is entertaining and believes that television is finally catching up with the complexities of real human behavior.
She believes today’s audience is more open than ever to watching quirky and unpredictable characters over the perfect ones that once dominated screens. “Oh, absolutely. I think we’ve entered an era where the audience actually enjoys unpredictability in characters. Gone are the days when people only liked black-or-white roles. Now, the grey ones the layered, quirky, slightly twisted characters are stealing the spotlight,” Papia Sengupta shares.
Using her own character as an example, Papia Sengupta explains, “Kanchan plays the sweet, ideal mother in front of her daughter, but behind closed doors, she’s constantly plotting how to get rid of her jamai, Neel. She’s manipulative, dramatic, and deliciously unpredictable and the audience loves watching that play out. It’s real, it’s messy, and it’s far more engaging than perfection.”
Papia also notes that viewers today appreciate emotionally complex characters with real motivations. Kanchan, in her mind, isn’t just villainous she genuinely believes her daughter deserves someone better, and that belief fuels her obsession with removing Neel (played by Abhishek Malik) from their lives.
“Characters like Kanchan aren’t just evil for the sake of it. The audience today wants to understand the ‘why’ behind a character’s actions. And when someone’s plotting one moment and shedding a tear the next, it creates a connection. People no longer want cardboard cutouts they want layered humans, even if they’re flawed,” she adds.
As Jamai No.1 unfolds, Kanchan’s layered, emotionally charged presence is sure to keep audiences on the edge of their seats.
