Jyotika’s eyes summon fear in Chandramukhi, conceal heartbreak in Kaathal: The Core, and bring mystery in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s upcoming courtroom drama System. Nearly twenty-six years after her Hindi debut, the actor finds herself in the middle of an unexpected second innings in Bollywood — one she says happened entirely by chance.

“There was no conscious thought of coming to Hindi films. I came here for my kids and parents. After that, I started getting offers for work. It happened organically. I did a lot of films down South and because of that ground work, I am getting work in Hindi films now,” says Jyotika.

Discussing work in the Hindi OTT space, she says “The call-sheets are different down South as you start work early and by 6pm you are free. But in Hindi, the shifts are from 9 am to 9 pm, which make you feel that you spent the entire day on set.” Then adds, “I think this is the most exciting time of my career. I am getting to do roles here which I don’t think I would have got after forty otherwise. It is bringing a new challenge for me.”

The challenge was the same even for actor-filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, as he worked on playing a lawyer in System, something, “which he had never played before”. As an actor, Ashutosh worked in a bunch of films and television shows in the ‘90s before completely pursuing direction with films like Lagaan, Swades, Jodha Akbar and more. In 2016, he returned on-screen with the Marathi film, Ventilator. “As a director, when I am explaining actors what I expect from them in a particular shot, it also ends up honing my craft. But I am petrified as an actor whenever I go on set now,” he says.

In order to get comfortable with the material, Ashutosh requests directors to sit with him for a reading of his scenes. “I want to go through the material without any inhibition and let the director correct me. Ashwiny gave me that time and answered all my questions about the character. Only after that I felt alright to do a common reading with other actors,” he says.

He brings the antagonistic force in System, creating hurdles for his daughter, Neha, a rookie lawyer, working as a public prosecutor to prove her worth. Sonakshi Sinha brings restraint to Neha, internalising her concerns even in the courtroom scenes, which have traditionally invoked a lot of drama in Hindi films.

“The only impression of a lawyer I had was through the films I had seen. But Ashwiny told me to watch actual courtroom proceedings from YouTube, where I saw a lot of female lawyers arguing a case, interacting with witnesses and speaking to the judge. All of that actually relaxed me a bit for how real and normal it felt. There was no over-the-top screaming and shouting,” Sonakshi says.

The actor also recalls having detailed discussions with Ashwiny about her character that helped her in shaping her performance. “Ashwiny brought some things to my notice which I didn’t even think of, like, what nail paint my character likes to put on. Doing that makes the character get ingrained in our mind so that the performance then just flows,” she says.

Ashwiny’s voice lends a sensitive gaze to the film, which doesn’t resort to sensationalism to make its point but works around with an understated realism to comment on the idea of justice. Sonakshi feels that the approach of a female director stands out. “It is refreshing to work with a female director when you are used to working with male directors often. Ashwiny brought a certain vulnerability to the film which comes from being a woman,” she says.

Jyotika agrees and notes that she was impressed with the way Ashwiny treated the male characters in the film. “She made the men in the film look quite vulnerable. We rarely see that in films. We are so lost in defining a man to be powerful, trapped by responsibilities and never to be seen crying on-screen. She did the opposite by showing the vulnerable side of men and inner strength of the women characters,” explains Jyotika, while also reflecting on how it was to be directed by Ashwiny.

“When I think of Ashwiny, I think of all the giggles on the set. She made the atmosphere quite light-hearted. She was receptive of anything we said. We could tell her just about anything, call her multiple times during the day just to talk to her about the dress I was wearing. That woman-to-woman bond made it a little easier,” Jyotika says.

System will be released on Prime Video on May 22