EXCLUSIVE | Prajakta Koli made conscious decision to stay away from anime, K-dramas; Here's why

For someone who has spent over a decade on the internet, Prajakta Koli still speaks about storytelling with the excitement of someone discovering it for the very first time. Whether it is books, audiobooks, romance novels, Mismatched or her own novel Too Good To Be True, there is an unmistakable sincerity in the way she discusses stories and the comfort they bring her.

Speaking about her audiobook on Audible, the content creator-turned-actor admitted that conversations around her debut novel still feel surreal during an exclusive interview with Firstpost's Zinia Bandyopadhyay. She also discussed about her love for reading and storytelling during a chat at the Mumbai Comic Con.

“Honestly, I’m still in that phase where I’m riding so high on the validation on the book,” she said. “Because I was convinced that when the book comes out, all my dreams of ever writing again are going to come crashing down.”

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‘If you talk to me about my book or Mismatched, I’ll keep talking’

Koli laughed while admitting there are two subjects she can discuss endlessly- her book and Mismatched.

“If you talk to me about my book Too Good To Be True or any book in general, I’ll talk to you about it for as long as you want to. And second is Mismatched. I get to talk about it for as long as you want me to talk about it,” she said.

But speaking about the Netflix series also comes with heartbreak now that the show is nearing its end. “It’s equal parts exciting and heartbreaking. Exciting because I get to be Dimple one more time, but it’s the last time, so I don’t know how I’m going to say bye anymore,” she admitted.

How Audible became part of her reading life

Koli revealed that her relationship with Audible existed long before their professional collaborations.

“I’ve kind of loved Audible for a lot longer,” she shared. “I’ve always been attached to books in some way or the other.”

Explaining how audiobooks slowly became part of her routine, she said, “I moved from physical books to Kindle because I was travelling so much. Then I realised there are times when I’m so hooked to a book, but if I’m doing my makeup or cooking or driving, I can’t read. That’s when I moved to audiobooks.”

In fact, she admitted she now downloads books on both Kindle and Audible simultaneously. “Every book I download on my Kindle, I’ll also download on Audible. So if I get into a situation where I can’t read it, I’ll start listening to it.”

Calling storytelling her biggest obsession, she added, “Audible has helped my obsession with storytelling in general.”

‘Reading is my escape from life’

Perhaps the most striking part of the conversation came when Koli spoke about why reading matters so deeply to her.

“I’m an escapist when it comes to reading,” she confessed. “My life is extremely rollercoaster-like. Not one day is like another. I constantly have multiple tabs open in my head.”

For her, books become a space untouched by chaos. “My Kindle is where I go to escape,” she said, before recalling a conversation with Kajol that deeply resonated with her. “She said, ‘I don’t read books to get smart. I read books to escape life.’ And I felt so validated because that’s exactly how I feel.”

Koli then enthusiastically listed the books and authors that have shaped her reading journey- from Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood to Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist, The Secret, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s works.

“I remember bawling like a child while reading The Last Queen,” she recalled.

At the same time, she admitted to being completely obsessed with contemporary romance fiction. “I’m 300 books in at this point in the past three years. I have no regrets,” she laughed. “I’ll read dark romance, spice, romanticism- everything.”

She is currently immersed in Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series. “Right now, I’m reading about dragons and hot guys with big tattoos,” she joked.

‘Traffic helps me read’

Despite juggling acting, shoots, writing and brand commitments, Koli somehow continues reading obsessively.

“There are some benefits of traffic,” she laughed. “If I’m stuck for 40 minutes, I’ll listen to something.”

She explained how reading slips naturally into her everyday routine.

“If I’m on set getting my hair and makeup done for an hour, I’ll read. I’ll read between shots. I’ll always read before going to bed, and it’ll be the first thing I read when I wake up.”

Interestingly, she also uses reading to overcome writing blocks.

“If I hit a block while writing, I’ll immediately switch to reading something completely different and then come back to it.”

‘I never work on characters alone’

While many actors isolate themselves while preparing for roles, Koli admitted her process is far more collaborative. When we asked how she separates characters that she will have to play or audition for from the ones that she is reading about, she explained, “I never work on characters by myself unless I’ve been told to. I’ll always work with my director on it.”

She added that she worries about building a character too independently only to later realise it differs from the director’s vision. “What if it’s even a little bit different from what my director wants? Then I’ll have to reset the whole thing.”

Koli also believes her reading habits do not interfere with her acting because books remain temporary escapes rather than emotional baggage she carries around. “It’s escapist for me because it’s only for that moment. I don’t take it back with me.”

The roles she dreams of voicing

When asked which fictional characters she would love to voice someday, Koli immediately had answers ready.

“I would love to be Violet from the Empyrean series,” she said excitedly. “She’s this tiny little girl but she’s a ferocious warrior and she has two huge dragons.”

She also expressed interest in any audio adaptation centred around Maharani Gayatri Devi.

“I’ve always read a lot about her and I’ve quite enjoyed it.”

And then came perhaps her most unexpected confession- she wants to voice an animated character someday. “Anyone,” she laughed.

‘Anime and K-dramas will consume my life’

Koli also admitted she consciously avoids anime and K-dramas despite their popularity. “I know they will consume my life,” she laughed. “I’m a binge-watcher. If I start liking something, I’ll not care about anything else and continue watching just this.” Calling it a “professional choice”, she joked, “I will never watch anime till I retire.”

The one thing she wishes to clarify about her book

Towards the end of the conversation, Koli revealed one hilarious assumption many readers seem to have made about her novel.

“I think a lot of people who read my book believe that the sex chapter is inspired from real life,” she said before quickly clarifying, “It’s not.”

Laughing at the speculation surrounding her personal life, she added, “I wish someone would ask me that so I could clarify.”