Mumbai, Feb 2 (IANS) Actress Zoya Afroz has shared an inspiring account of how years of quiet perseverance culminated in a career-defining opportunity, landing her a key role in filmmaker Neeraj Pandey’s crime thriller television series “Taskaree”.
Zoya took to Instagram, where she shared a string of images from the series’ sets, which follows an Indian Customs Service team stationed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport as they combat an international smuggling syndicate.
She shared that she was visiting her mother’s hometown in Assam after 12 years when the unexpected call came.
“Some opportunities arrive because you’ve earned the right to meet them. So, I was visiting my mom’s hometown in Assam – After 12 years —which is 3,000 km away, four hours from the nearest airport—I had packed for a months long trip but it was just 2 days into the trip when I got a call to audition immediately,” she wrote as the caption.
Zoya said that the moment she heard it was for Neeraj Pandey sir’s Netflix series, everything changed. The show also stars Emraan Hashmi, Sharad Kelkar, Amruta Khanvilkar, Nandish Sandhu and Anurag Sinha.
Located nearly 3,000 kilometres away and several hours from the nearest airport, Zoya packed overnight and undertook a 16-hour journey to make it in time. The audition was followed by an approval soon after, turning the sudden trip into what she described as the moment she began “living her dream”.
“I packed overnight, travelled 16 hours, tested, got approved—and suddenly, I was living my dream.”
Sharing details of the intense schedule, Zoya said there was only a three-day gap between her audition and stepping onto the set. With no time to ease in, she found herself preparing and shooting simultaneously while carrying a powerful seven-episode character arc.
“There was just a three-day gap between my audition and being on set. I was preparing and shooting simultaneously, holding a seven-episode arc of a powerful character with no time to ease in. But sometimes, you work in silence for years—and when the moment arrives, that preparation speaks for itself,” she said.
Reflecting on the experience, the actress said the phase reinforced her belief that years spent working in silence are never wasted, as they prepare an artist to rise to the occasion when the right moment arrives.
“I share this only to say—the years you spend working in silence are never wasted. You keep refining your craft, and when the moment finally comes, you’re ready to meet it. Until then, you persist, you stay steady, and you don’t give up. What stayed with me was the team’s conviction—they truly moved mountains to make it happen. Grateful beyond words.”
Zoya concluded: “Thank you @neerajpofficial — your belief means the world to me. Thank you @devendradeshpande31 @fridaystorytellers @raghavjairath for the sheer determination! You guys are the best.”
–IANS
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