Indira Varma joins the cast of 'Game of Thrones'

Indira Varma joins the cast of 'Game of Thrones'

The first episode of Game of Thrones (GoT) season four features four new characters; a necessity considering the cast was severely depleted at the infamous 'Red Wedding' that closed the last season.

But the new entrant we're most enamoured by is Ellaria Sands, the paramour of Prince Oberyn Martell, played by British-Indian actor Indira Varma.

She first appeared in Mira Nair's controversial 1996 opus Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love as Maya. Since then, she's straddled both film and television, with key performances in Bride and Prejudice, Basic Instinct 2 and Rome preceding her role in GoT.

Vogue speaks to the actor on her latest role.

How did you land the GoT gig?

"I had some friends working on the crew, raving about how great it is to work on. So my agent put me forward. Fortunately, I had already worked with a couple of the producers from the HBO series Rome. I went on tape and here I am. I was really keen to be a part of such a hugely creative and diverse project with a grand budget to fulfill the dreams of the creators. It has dragons for goodness sake!"

Have you read the books?

"I hadn't read the books or even seen the show, but several friends urged me to watch it. I bought the box set, and now I'm addicted. I love the power play, the wit, and the characters in addition to the artistry that's gone into the design and filming. I realise now that fantasy has global appeal because it is not culturally specific. And ultimately, who doesn't understand the desire for power, be it within a family, school or work group, let alone between countries."

What character do you play?

"I play Ellaria Sands. She is from Dorne, which is quite a permissive society where anything goes. She is not married but is the paramour of Oberyn Martell, brother to the Dornish King. When we meet Ellaria, she is in a mischievous mood, happy to be at an important wedding in a foreign place where things seem so alien. But she is rather stung by the snobbery theists have for people who are not of royal blood, which she isn't. She despises their snobbery. The Dornish, I think, are maybe a bit decadent but ultimately very fair people. Women and men are equal in their society. Everyone is respected."

What can we expect from your character going forward?

"I think we will see a new and possibly terrifying side to Ellaria at some point."

How elaborate are the make-up and costumes?

"The hair and make-up looks deceptively simple. It's all in the detail but is barely visible to the naked eye. Ellaria's dark eyes have unusually elaborate eye make-up for the show."

"The costume design has extraordinary craftsmanship -- hand-hammered leatherwork, metal work and embroidery. There's nothing like having a designer cut clothes for your shape and taking on board things you might not want showing! [They are] really sensitive to ideas and phobias!"

What was the most exciting thing about being a part of the GoT set?

"I was really awestruck with the artistry of it all and the fights are extraordinary. There is so much both in front of and behind the camera. It's a dream! It's an amazing gig and I am thrilled to be a part of it."

Do you have a favourite character?

"I find it impossible to choose a favourite character, but I am a huge fan of Charles Dance and Peter Dinklage. Although, Pedro Pascal (who plays Martell) and I had such a giggle being the newbies together."

Now if only she and Jon Snow could hook up, we'd have a neat little spin-off: Sand and Snow.

- Jerusha Ratnam Chande

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