Playback Singer Sunidhi Chauhan makes her acting debut with the short film, Playing Priya. Sunidhi plays a ‘bored housewife’ in the six and a half minute short. “I always wanted to act but never thought that I would enjoy it so much. The whole experience was just awesome,” she said.
Arif Ali, best known for his directorial debut – Lekhar Hum Deewana Dil, is at the helm of this one as well. The director admitted that he had Sunidhi in mind for the lead role in Playing Priya because of her love for dark-themed films. “Sunidhi has a thing for thrillers, dark films and twisted characters. So when I narrated this idea to her, she loved it and agreed to act in it,” Arif said.
Though Playing Priya does not offer much by way of production values, it is interesting. It begins with Sunidhi’s character standing in the balcony of her home watching over someone. In the street below, we see a man speaking to someone over the phone. “Priya will call you back!” he says, and drives away. Once the man leaves, Sunidhi begins to enjoy her time alone, goofing around the house. The phone rings intermittently, but Sunidhi hits reject every time. There is a twist in this tale, albeit a confusing one.
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Playing Priya’s under developed storyline does not do justice to Chauhan’s screen presence. In the past, Sunidhi has made guest appearances in films like Hawaa Hawaai and Khoobsurat; and has been a part of the film industry for over two decades. Naturally, she is at ease in front of the camera. Her acting here is commendable. Sunidhi is every woman personified in the short – goofy when alone, vulnerable when she hears a sound, and a little paranoid at times.
Playing Priya was released on 28 July by Humaramovie, a digital media studio that recently released another short called The Virgins starring Pia Bajpai, Akshay Oberoi, and Divyendu Sharma.
Watch Playing Priya here: