Sophia Michaels
Fans got their first look at Ritu Arya in the “Barbie” movie on April 4, when almost every cast member was featured on their own “This Barbie” post in the trailer showing off their character. Arya’s reads, “This Barbie has a Pulitzer.” Speaking to POPSUGAR about her new movie “Polite Society,” Arya jokes that in real life, her poster would read, “This Barbie is figuring this sh*t out.”
“Margot was awesome. So had just a lovely time while I was there.”
Arya admits she had a bit of “massive imposter syndrome” being part of the star-studded “Barbie” cast — which includes Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling — but it was an “incredible” experience, she explains. “They were all so lovely. It was just very surreal.” Director Greta Gerwig, Ayra says, created a “beautiful atmosphere” for the film that was “collaborative and playful.” “Margot was awesome,” the actor adds. “So had just a lovely time while I was there.”
As for “Polite Society,” Arya and her costar Priya Kansara got to flex their muscles as action heroes. The movie, which follows two British Pakistani sisters who get wrapped up in an action caper that tests their bond, premiered at Sundance in January before debuting in theaters on April 28.
The movie’s big action set piece takes place at the wedding of Arya’s character, Lena, so both actors were in heavy costumes for their biggest fight scenes. And yes, those gorgeous outfits did get in the way. Kansara tells POPSUGAR that the long braid she wore kept getting stuck when she spun around. “We even had lots of really heavy jewelry on as well,” she adds, and sometimes the necklaces would hit her in the face in the middle of a scene.
While Kansara got to practice in her costume, Arya didn’t. “My dress was very, very heavy. It weighed so much,” she shares. The costume designers had to figure out how to fold up some of the underskirts so Arya had enough room to kick and fight.
Watch the video above to find out what else Kansara and Arya had to say about their favorite “Polite Society” stunts.
