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Some characters are not defined by what they say, but by everything they carry in silence. Since its release, Prime Original Series Raakh has resonated with audiences for its emotionally layered storytelling and powerful performances. Sonali Bendre’s portrayal of Mona Arora has emerged as one of the standout elements of the series, earning praise for its depth, vulnerability, and emotional honesty. The actor opens up about what first drew her to the role and how the experience shaped the kind of stories she wants to explore. She reflects on bringing alive the many layers of grief, resilience, and human emotion that define Mona’s journey.
Looking back at her first narration with Prosit Roy, Anusha Nandakumar, and Sandeep Saket, Sonali says, “There was a sensitivity and emotional honesty to the material that felt very different. It wasn’t interested in simplifying grief or pain. It allowed those emotions to exist in all their complexity, and that was something I wanted to be part of. As actors, we’re often asked to portray emotions that audiences are very familiar with. The challenge is finding the details that make a character’s experience feel specific to them. With Mona, my focus was on understanding what made her grief uniquely hers, rather than approaching it in a way that felt familiar or expected.”
Speaking about the shift in the kind of stories and characters she is now drawn to, she says, “Raakh has definitely broadened the kinds of stories I find myself drawn to today. This experience reminded me that some of the most meaningful stories are often the ones that ask us to sit with uncomfortable emotions rather than look away from them. What interested me most about Mona was that her grief doesn’t exist in a single emotional register. It shows up as silence, anger, denial, resilience, and sometimes even moments of normalcy. That’s often how people experience loss in real life.”
Starring Ali Fazal, Sonali Bendre, and Aamir Bashir in key roles, Raakh is directed and executive produced by Prosit Roy, and created, written, and co-directed by Anusha Nandakumar and Sandeep Saket. Produced by Endemol Shine India in association with BhaDiPa, the series is now streaming exclusively on Prime Video in India and across more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
