Trinetra Haldar says she manifested working with Roshan Mathew in Kankhajura, recalls being nervous on first day

Hindustan Times

25-05-2025

Actors Roshan Mathew and Mohit Raina are gearing up to thrill audiences with their upcoming crime series Kankhajura. Joining them in a pivotal role is Trinetra Haldar Gummaraju—doctor, content creator, actor, and proud trans woman—who made her acting debut in Made in Heaven 2. In Kankhajura, she plays Amy, a fierce and complex trans woman who marks a bold new chapter in Trinetra's growing acting career. (Also Read: Trinetra Haldar interview on extending her trans experience to Meher in Made in Heaven 2)
In an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times, Trinetra opened up about how Kankhajura challenged her as an actor, especially as Amy is a character vastly different from who she is in real life. She also spoke about working opposite Roshan Mathew and stepping into emotionally intense territory with her role.
Talking about what drew her to Amy, Trinetra shared, "I am very committed to representing various trans characters on screen because there is such a stereotype around the community still in 2025. When I chose to become an actor, one thing was that I didn't want to do the same thing again and again. I wanted to work on the versatility in me. When I read the script of Kankhajura, Amy was nothing like any audition I had done before or characters I had played in the past. I thought she was so unique that I had to take up the role. Of course, there is a shared identity there, but she is so much more than what I am. So I thought, why not challenge myself?"
Trinetra also revealed that she had been a long-time admirer of Roshan Mathew and recalled how nervous she was to work with him. 'When I found out he was doing the show and that I was cast opposite him, I was like I manifested this. I am a huge fan of Malayalam cinema and I've watched his films and really enjoyed his performances. I feel he is an amazing actor. When you have such a generous actor who is sharing a lot of energy with you to react from, it becomes very easy for you as an actor to perform. He was very sweet and building that chemistry was very easy. Off-screen we are like buddies. On the first day I was extremely nervous because I didn't know how to behave—I didn't want to be creepy because I'm such a big fan. But it was great.'
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In the show, Amy is a survivor of physical abuse from her boyfriend—a storyline that required emotional depth and careful handling. Speaking about the preparation involved, Trinetra said, 'When I read that, I knew it was going to be difficult because we go through quite a lot of it in our personal lives as trans people. So I knew it wouldn't be easy for sure. But as an actor, you know that there will be times when a certain character that you play will be going through very traumatising situations. But your job as an actor is to separate yourself from it. And what is important there is to surround yourself with safe people. So I felt safe at all times with the director and all the people on set to play that character.'
Reflecting on the challenges of embodying Amy, Trinetra said, 'The most challenging part was that Amy is very different from who I am. In the past, many of the characters I played had similarities to who I am. But Amy is very, very different. Pooja Swaroop, my acting coach, helped me get into the character. That was challenging—to get into a completely different character. I mean, she even looks so different compared to what I do.'
Directed by Chandan Arora and produced by Ajay Rai, Kankhajura is a gripping crime thriller set to premiere on May 30 on SonyLIV. The official synopsis reads: 'After serving 14 years for a crime from his youth, Ashu returns to reconnect with his brother Max. As they struggle to rebuild trust, Ashu's dark past and dangerous connections resurface, threatening Max's life and business. A gripping story of family, redemption, and the shadows that never truly fade.'