In a candid conversation, actor Palak Jaiswal, the female protagonist in Pushkar Mahabal’s recently released Sony LIV series ‘Black, White & Gray - Love Kills’, opened up about the layers of emotion, psychology, and blurred morality that set the show apart from conventional Indian crime thrillers. Receiving praise for her nuanced performance, Jaiswal also delved into what makes this series more than just a whodunit.

Calling it a series that isn’t a regular crime thriller, Jaiswal told Mathrubhumi about the factors that set the series apart from the rest.

“The audience will love it because this is different from the repetitive content we have been served so far. We have watched such content so much that now we’re bored with it. This series will be interesting because very few crime thrillers are being made that are chaotic and unpredictable. The way the whole series has been put up is very logical; at no point will it make you think that this can’t happen in reality. It keeps you on the edge,” said the young actor, adding that the characterization is also exceptionally interesting.

Deven Bhojani has done such light-hearted comic roles that when you see him holding a gun, you get pleasantly surprised and want to watch more of him, she added.

She also went on to add that more than anything else, it is its mockumentary genre that people will enjoy watching the most. Explaining this, Jaiswal said, “Even the actors who are giving the interviews in the series have performed so well that anyone who isn’t aware that it’s a mockumentary might just fall for the trap, thinking that it’s a real-life crime documentary.”

Although this is the first leading role of Jaiswal, the actor has been active in the Indian theater scene. When you ask about the influence of theater experience on her career as an actor, she said that it was of immense help because it was theater that taught her the kind of preparation one required to play a certain character.

She said, "You have to go into the details of the character’s psyche. This character that I’m playing is a very introverted person, but at the same time, protective like a lioness, for those she loves. The character also has a personality disorder, so I researched it to see how a person with a particular personality disorder would react to certain situations in life. When I used to play multiple characters during my theater days, it taught me how to prepare well for a character.”

With the series having been released online and watched by several netizens already, Jaiswal's performance has been subject to applause and appreciation. She is hopeful that this performance will open more doors for her and get her multiple opportunities.

“I feel the character that I have played is the one that helps me in showing out-and-out talent. There is so much acting involved in terms of reactions. There are characters where you have to deliver dialogue after dialogue, and then there are characters like this one there which are so complex and layered, that others should be able to see the talent that I hold. I’m hopeful that I will get some great projects after this. I’m hoping that my versatility as an actor is seen,” Jaiswal concluded.