Screen Grab

From sweet supporting character to Netflix star handpicked by the Wachowskis, actor Tina Desai’s career is on the up and up. Here, she tells Sujala Newar about working with the cult directors, losing her inhibitions and finding herself.

- Sujala Newar

The first time that Bengaluru-born actor Tina Desai entered our collective consciousness, it was as Sunaina, Dev Patel’s firecracker paramour in the star-packed The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011), alongside British heavyweights Judi Dench, Maggie Smithand Bill Nighy. And after she had reprised her role in the sequel [The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)], the business management graduate struck gold a second time when she joined the diverse cast of Netflix’s blockbuster sci-fidrama Sense8, helmed by the legendary Wachowski sisters. Desai plays Kala Dandekar, a shy Indian pharmaceutical executive who goes on to marry the rich owner’s son. But she is also a sensate—a species of human telepathically connected to others like herself across the world— and finds herself drawn to fellow sensate, Wolfgang Bogdanow (played by Max Riemelt), making for some sizzling on-screen chemistry and one of this year’s top #couplegoals. ELLE caught up with the rising star in Mumbai. Here’s everything you’ve wanted to know about the show, its cool creators and our very own homegrown sensate.

ELLE: How did Sense8 happen?

Tina Desai: I was on holiday when they sent me two scenes from the first episode. I sent them a self-taped audition, which led to a second round of auditions in London. But then I couldn’t go because I was shooting for The Second Best.... So, I did a Skype call with Lana and Lilly Wachowski instead. Our half-hour call turned into an hour-and-a-half-long conversation and the next thing I knew, I had landed the role.

ELLE: What was it like to work with the Wachowskis?