Meet Khushi, girl with Asperger's syndrome in Pankaj Tripathi's Criminal Justice 4

India Today

09-06-2025

Khushi Bharadwaj, who began as a child artiste on television, played a teenage girl in 'Criminal Justice Season 4'. The 17-year-old plays the role of Ira Nagpal, a girl dealing with Asperger's syndrome. IndiaToday.in exclusively spoke to Bharadwaj to understand how she played an emotionally layered character, a difficult one at that, given the sensitivity of the condition and the responsibility of doing right by the representation.advertisementYou played probably the most vulnerable role in the show. Did it ever occur to you that if you didn't get it right, the performance would be perceived as tone-deaf, and even insulting to people living with the syndrome?Yes, and that responsibility was something we all took very seriously. We knew that if not handled with care, it could be perceived as tone-deaf or even offensive to those living with Asperger's Syndrome. That's why we did extensive preparation before stepping on set.
I personally underwent more than 45 hours of intense training, including sessions with acting coach Sandip Ghosh sir and renowned psychiatrist Varkha Chulani. We focused deeply on the emotional and behavioural aspects - how someone with Asperger's experiences the world. I watched numerous real-life video references, studied gestures, and even observed some of my schoolmates who live with similar conditions.advertisementEven our creative director Rahul sir, the creative team, and our director Rohan Sippy sir spent hours in consultation with psychiatrists to ensure the portrayal was both accurate and respectful.Our goal was never to stereotype but to portray one girl's individual journey with sincerity and truth. While I had the privilege of performing the role of Ira Nagpal, it was truly a collective effort by the entire team that made this character come alive with sensitivity and depth. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Khushi Bhardwaj (@khushibhardwaj_official)Talk to me about that scene featuring Ira's aggression in a class. Yes, that scene takes place during a piano class and was one of the most emotionally intense moments for me. Ira's aggression wasn't just a random reaction - it was an outburst that had been building up due to several emotional triggers.She was being bullied in class, and at the same time, she was silently processing a lot of grief and confusion. She had just lost Roshni, someone she deeply cared about, and she was missing her father terribly - he was in jail, and that absence created a void she didn't know how to express. All of this pain and pressure had been bottled up inside her, and that moment in the classroom was when it finally burst.advertisementWe didn't approach it as a 'violent' scene - we approached it as an emotional release. The night before the shoot, we had a detailed prep session with the creative team, our acting coach, and a psychiatrist. We talked about how someone with Asperger's might process trauma and how their emotional language might differ from others.So, that moment was Ira's way of crying out for help - not in words, but in the only way she could. It was a powerful scene to shoot, and I'm grateful we handled it with so much care and understanding.Aren't you saying that people living with Asperger's syndrome are aggressive? Isn't that a generalisation? I completely agree that as storytellers, we carry the responsibility to be nuanced. Ira's aggression in that one scene was not a generalization. It was a personal, situational response to extreme emotional stress.I hope viewers understand that aggression is not a trait of Asperger's but rather a reaction that can come from anyone who feels unheard of or misunderstood. We never intended to stereotype, and I believe the overall arc of the character shows her as layered, sensitive, and deeply human.
advertisementDo you think that real-life people who are living with such conditions should be the ones playing such roles for a better, more realistic and sensitive representation? Yes, I completely agree. People who are actually living with conditions like Asperger's can portray these characters beautifully. They are smart, aware, emotionally deep, and incredibly talented. If given the right platform and support, they can bring a level of authenticity that no one else can match.As an actor, I also feel a strong sense of responsibility when portraying such characters. That's why, for Ira Nagpal's role, we didn't jump into performance - we spent weeks training with psychiatrists and experts, observing real behaviours, and having honest conversations about what the character is going through emotionally.I truly hope that in the future, the industry becomes even more inclusive. And until then, if actors like us are given these roles, it's our duty to treat them with care, integrity, and a deep sense of respect for the community we represent.advertisementPlease tell me about your experience of working with Pankaj Tripathi and Mohammes Zeeshan Ayyub in the show - two profound actors. Working on 'Criminal Justice' was an unforgettable experience. Sharing the screen with Pankaj Tripathi sir and Zeeshan Ayyub sir was both an honour and a huge learning opportunity.Pankaj sir has this calm and grounded presence on set. He's extremely patient, always focused, and barely even looks at his phone during shoots. Just watching him work teaches you so much about commitment and staying in character.Zeeshan sir, on the other hand, is one of the most humble and knowledgeable people I've met. There's so much to learn from him—not just as an actor, but as a person. He genuinely cares, whether it's about the scene, his co-actors, or the environment on set. Working with him felt safe and collaborative, like I was constantly growing through every scene.Overall, being around both of them made me better - not just in my craft, but also in how I see and approach work.
advertisementYou had to give 12 auditions for the role. Why? They could have selected you after one or two. Yes, 12 sounds like a big number, but this wasn't an easy character to play. Ira lives with Asperger's Syndrome, and getting her portrayal right—without exaggeration or misrepresentation - was very important.I remember after my very first audition, I got a call within 30 minutes asking me to change a particular part of my performance. That showed me how seriously the casting team was approaching this. My casting directors, Karan Mally and Nandini Shrikent, were extremely particular about staying true to the condition and the emotional layers of the character.Between those rounds of auditions, we did several workshops to fine-tune everything—from body language and tone, to emotional reactions. It wasn't just about casting someone - it was about doing justice to Ira's world, and I'm grateful that they pushed me to give it everything I had.Originally from Delhi, Bharadwaj began her acting journey quite early. She began doing ramp shows at the age of eight for IKFW (India Kids Fashion Week), and from there, a new chapter began when she started getting calls for TV commercials.In 2019, she shifted to Mumbai after getting selected for a role in 'Baalveer Returns', a fantasy show on Sony SAB - her first acting break. The role helped her pursue acting seriously while also focusing on her education.While describing her passion for acting, Bharadwaj shared that acting is not just "performance, but also a way to tell stories that matter, to explore different emotions, and to connect with people on a deeper level."'Criminal Justice', also featuring Surveen Chawla and Shweta Basu Prasad, is currently streaming on JioHotstar.