“OTT is changing that somehow. It’s giving you more of a character-driven opportunity rather than ‘what’s your collection on Friday, Saturday, Sunday?’ What I love about Arya is… today you can look at an iconic character like that and say women are being represented in their mightiest glory.”
She remembers how rare such roles were. “At one point, if you said, listen, we’re going to write a script about a woman playing a Michael Corleone, they would say, ‘Yeah, kya bol rahe ho? Kaise karenge? Who’s going to fund that?’ Ram Madhvani walks up and says, ‘It has to be a woman. And it has to be she playing the Michael Corleone.’ And you’re like, ‘Yeah—where do I sign?’”
Despite her international acclaim, Sen sees Dubai as deeply personal. “Dubai, by God’s grace also—half the population is us, okay? So let’s be fair there. Between Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Nepalese—we’re all here. But the Middle East has always made me feel like this is also my home.”
And just like the city she loves, she shows no signs of slowing down.
“I just want Dubai to grow and reach its fullest potential. And I have a feeling that Dubai is never going to reach it. It’s always going to keep evolving.”
So will she.