EXCLUSIVE: Anushka Sen on ringing new year in Korean way, sharing stage with King the Land’s Lee Junho, YoonA
Indian star Anushka Sen spoke to us in an exclusive chat about visiting South Korea to ring in the New Year, exploring the cuisine further each time and her plans to return.
The Korean entertainment industry has gone global like never before and Indian actor Anushka Sen is riding Hallyu herself, much in her own way. On December 31, the actor saw through with her participation in the bell-ringing ceremony at the Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul, alongside multiple artists from around the world. An annual event that has been a tradition since 1953, thousands gather to celebrate a new beginning at the ceremony which is broadcast live in multiple other places.
Talking about her experience being a part of the memorable event, Anushka Sen who has continued to enjoy her Seoul trip further since said about her home away from home, “The new year has started on a great note given the fact, that it started with the bell ceremony which is a traditional Korean practice that has been going on for the last 70 years. And, also the awards that happened so I am having a great time. My whole family is here, for the very first time, mom is also visiting Seoul so we are all discovering and exploring new places and having a lot of fun.”
Anushka Sen on becoming ‘half-Korean’ due to food
While the Korean way of ringing in the new year- quite literally- differs from the Indian methods, the traditional happening seemed all the more livening for the star herself who became one of the first bunch of foreigners to be able to do so with her own hands. Expressing her gratitude for the invitation, the actor chimes in about her increasing frequency of visiting the Korean peninsula.
Recalling an interesting time trying new dishes each time as well as spreading the joy to others, she said, “This is my fourth visit to Seoul and at this point, I have become half-Korean because I have tried so much Korean food. So this time, I just made my mom try all the things that I have tried like Naengmyeon which is cold noodles and in this weather of -2 having cold noodles was really fun. Of course, Tteokbokki, spicy and really delicious is another of my favorites, and yes, there are so many of my other Korean favorites but this time I actually felt like I could introduce it to somebody and it was really fun having my mom relish over these delicacies.”
Anushka Sen’s win at the APAN Star Awards
While on her trip, the actress was also invited to be present at the 2023 APAN Star Awards where she nabbed the Global Creator win from the Seoul Government. Calling the award an honor to her career, the Jhansi Ki Rani star said, “I have won a lot of awards in India over the past 13 years as an actor but this time, it was a global award so it is a big honour for me and also, I am glad I could bring it home for my country.”
She continued, “Like I've said, I always wanted to become the bridge between Korea and India and to see things happening… it just makes me feel really happy and makes me feel like things are going in the right direction for both global powers. I hope, I keep working hard and make my country proud, my fans proud, my parents and myself.”
Being at the New Year ceremony and the award show, Anushka Sen had the opportunity to come across some of her own favorite Korean artists whom she is said to have enjoyed watching. Talking about a couple of them she said, “At the New Year’s event, the group ENHYPEN was present and they were all performing and it was really fun to watch. Lee Junho was present and got an award there and I am a big fan of the show King the Land, I absolutely loved it in 2023 and both the leads were present and it was really cool to see that I am sharing the same stage as them.“
Anushka Sen’s next tour of South Korea
With a global film Asia in the making, she is expected to make multiple visits to the land of the morning calm. Dishing about her plans for 2024, Anushka Sen exclusively revealed her next trip may be as soon as in March to continue on a Jeju escapade.
Having built a massive fanbase of her own and breaking through the Korean industry as one of the few Indians, Anushka Sen is carving a new niche for herself and the world awaits her next steps. Reveling her achievements at the age of 21, she called it a dream come true and credited the support of her fans for the last 13 years who have supported her to be able to reach new heights with every project.
Vowing to grow further as an actor, the young gun wishes to work hard, represent India on multiple platforms, and be able to explore unchartered territories of cultural enrichment and influence.
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