‘I realised people are minting money’: Nyrraa Banerji talks about finally embracing micro dramas after two years of hesitation

Nyrraa Banerji plays a Gujarati don in Story TV’s Prem Katha, a role that has earned her praise for its bold styling and chemistry. Actor Nyrraa Banerji has been exploring the growing world of micro dramas, and her latest project, Prem Katha, streaming on Story TV, sees her take on a rather different avatar.

The actor plays a Gujarati don in the show, a character that allowed her to experiment with a new look she had not explored before. Nyrraa Banerji on getting Sanjay Leela Bhansali film's feel while doing Prem Katha.In an interview with Hindustan Times, Nyrraa spoke about the response to her character in Prem Katha, her experience of working on the increasingly popular micro-drama format.

She also opened up about her initial hesitation towards vertical storytelling and why it took her two years to embrace the trend and how she sees it creating new opportunities for actors.On the response to her look and character in Prem KathaTalking about the response to her look in Prem Katha, Nyrraa said, "Fans have really loved my new look because I have never really played something like this. I have never played a Gujarati character and that, too, a don.

So they love the flamboyance and the look, and I have fallen in love with my role as well. Even my mother said I did a good job."She believes the character's styling, the scenes and her chemistry with her co-actor contributed to the overall impact. "I think it was the look they had given me, the scenes and the chemistry with my co-actor.

The chemistry and intensity we see in Sanjay Leela Bhansali films, it was similar to that somehow. The shooting and dressing were in that fashion, so, yeah, I did get the feel of working in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali film," she said.

On why she took two years to embrace micro dramasNyrraa admitted that she was initially hesitant about exploring vertical dramas, having been accustomed to seeing herself on the big screen and working in the traditional long format. However, she eventually decided to give the format a chance."Initially, I was hesitant to do verticals because I am used to seeing myself on a different screen size.

But later on, I felt, why not join the trend?" she said, adding that the format has introduced her to several producers, directors and actors while allowing her to experiment with different roles.The actor revealed that the transition was not immediate and that the past two years had been particularly difficult as she struggled to understand why micro dramas were taking precedence over other projects. "These two years were a little difficult for me because I wasn't able to understand why only micro dramas were happening, and other projects took a back seat. So it took me two years to convince myself to do micro dramas because I was used to doing the long format.

But when I saw the whole world doing this, I was like, okay, this is the trend. I don't want to make that mistake again of being left out," she explained.A conversation with a director friend eventually helped her make up her mind.

He encouraged her to explore the format, telling her that the industry needed actors like her. Nyrraa also realised the commercial potential of the space. "Then I realised people are minting money, man.

So let's earn some money also," she added.On micro dramas versus long-format projectsSpeaking about the differences between the two formats, Nyrraa pointed out that vertical dramas offer actors greater flexibility in terms of their schedules and the number of projects they can take up."You can do more variety here, get rest and choose your days. The pay is decent.

But long format has its own charm and verticals have a different charm. Here you can do many, many verticals in a month and still choose to stay at home when you want to.

Whereas in long format, you have to really prepare and grab the opportunity. It gives you stability for many, many days, so that has a different position in the market," she said.Drawing a parallel with the early days of TikTok in India, the actor believes that those who recognised the potential of the platform early on went on to establish themselves successfully.

She sees a similar opportunity in the micro-drama space today.On why vertical dramas could help her reach a wider audienceFor Nyrraa, exploring micro dramas is also a way to connect with audiences who may not have followed her work in films or television. She believes every format has its own viewership and that vertical dramas have built a substantial audience of their own."Every platform has a different kind of audience.

Movies have a very different audience and verticals have their own audience, and it's a huge one. Of late, verticals are getting successful because viewership is more.

So I picked it up thinking I'll get more audiences. Tomorrow, if I do web or films, I'll have that audience," she said.Riya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment.

If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting viral pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content.

A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment.

An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her.

A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical release or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time.

She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments.Read MoreTelevision ActorSanjay Leela Bhansali