Varada Sethu, Andor’s Cinta Kaz, has spoken to Variety.com about shooting the second season of the show, fan reaction, reading the scripts for the first time and her character’s role in the rebellion.
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains spoilers for episodes 4, 5 and 6 of Andor season two, now streaming on Disney+.
What has the fan reaction been like to Cinta’s death?
The fans have been quite respectful about not giving out spoilers. There’s a few that are commenting on my Instagram page, but I’ve just had an influx of DMs of people saying “Oh my God, I can’t believe they’ve done this to you. I’m so sorry.” It’s lovely to see that people cared about Cinta in the way that I care about her. It’s been really heartwarming. I could go into depth about what I love about her ending. I just thought it was so cleverly done and is so truthful in how people experience death. You don’t get to say goodbye to someone, and you don’t get closure. It can happen suddenly and totally unexpected in something that was meant to be mundane and smooth, which is how they saw the mission. The thing that Vel and Cinta were nervous about was going about starting a relationship after this. So for it to fall apart within a mission that was meant to be so straightforward is shocking.
What was that day on set like?
It was really heavy. I found it really difficult to not cry. I just felt for Vel and the kid. You have that moment of wanting to prove yourself, and he overshoots, literally. It was such a sad day in that everyone felt very tender. There was a real sense of mourning. It was weird; I felt like I was dying. Everyone was very gentle with me. There’s this huge argument, then the realization and everything has to move quick. All of it was done so tenderly. I was under the blanket pretending to be dead in the scene where Vel — she doesn’t even get a private moment with Cinta — has to move on with the mission immediately. She’s just letting loose what she thinks, and it was so powerful to hear it. I felt anger toward him, but I also felt heartbreak and his shame. This colossal figure that was meant to be a legend, he’s taken that potential away from someone.
What was your reaction to reading the script for the first time and finding out Cinta’s fate?
Tony Gilroy called me and told me about it before the script even arrived. It’s a weird reaction to have, but I felt excited. I felt very sad that I wouldn’t be able to hang out with my friends and be on set for longer, for sure, but I thought it was such a brilliant ending. My belief was that Cinta was always going to die in the rebellion. I couldn’t really see someone like her outliving a rebellion. It’s just so horrific, but I just felt it was so brave and unapologetic and that’s what makes “Andor” and “Rogue One” different from the other “Star Wars” shows and films. It’s the stories about the grassroots people. It’s not actually about the heroes. We’re not looking at a Skywalker that can do mind tricks. These are the people who have to spill blood to lay the groundwork for someone greater to emerge.
Why did you think Cinta was always going to die in the rebellion?
She’s been used as a weapon by the rebellion. She’s the assassin, the one who’s constantly in a fight-to-the-death mode. Vel is used as a spy, and obviously she’s put in life-threatening situations, but Cinta is the one who wields the blade or the gun. She’s the one who people see in the last moments of their life. Who knows how many people she’s killed. When you’re in that position time and time again, I think the probability of you being on the receiving end of that is a lot higher.
Read the full interview at Variety.com and stream the second season of Andor on Disney+ now.
The post Varada Sethu on Cinta Kaz’s Journey in Andor Season 2 appeared first on Jedi News.
