Heartbreak High’s Ayesha Madon on her turn to pop music, her fave Parsi dish and more

Date

September 10, 2024

Post by

arZan

Category

Heritage | India | Music

Welcome to Chit Chat, where we ask your favourite celebs, up-and-coming artists and internet-famous creatives a bunch of silly questions for fun, and a handful of prying ones.  (Supplied: Yasmin Suteja)

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The world knows her best as the drama-prone lead of the smash-hit Netflix Heartbreak High reboot, but Ayesha Madon is now re-introducing herself as a pop star.

Her singing voice, reminiscent of Ariana Grande, is no surprise to anyone who has followed the 26-year-old’s career, which was kickstarted by her role in Fangirls, the smash-hit Australian musical by Yve Blake. In the original production, Madon played Lily, a young and ultra-passionate fan of a boy-band member known simply as Harry.

Heartbreak High’s surprising season two

Photo shows Three teens perch behind a car, bent over and spying on someone. They all are lowering their sunglasses for a closer look.

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Netflix’s reboot of the 90s classic is celebrated for its diverse characters and plots. Its cast discuss how season two engages with criticism that it’s “too woke”.

Five years and a Netflix show later, Madon stands on the other side of fame. It’s not always a positive, as detailed in ‘Eulogy’, a raw pop track in which she addresses her insecurities, imagining what trolls and friends alike would say at her funeral.

Chatting with ABC Entertainment, Madon talks about melding humour with honesty in her music, plus her secret past life in the Scouts, the Parsi breakfast dish she’s perfected to a fine art, and more.

Your music video for ‘Blame Me’ starts off cute, then ends with you devouring your love interest. How did you end up landing on pairing a pop track with flesh-eating?

Ayesha Madon — Blame Me

I think what’s so beautiful about releasing such an earnest track is I just had so much capability to just flip it into the most cursed video! You can do so much with earnest lyrics, and I wanted to make it ironic somehow.

I don’t think there was a specific go-to message, but there were so there were so many undertones that came with the cannibalism [about] obsession. It was so hyperbolic, it drove the point home.

That obsession and fixation — of not even wanting to be with someone, but wanting to have them and consume them — was part of that.

The ‘Eulogy’ music video is quite funny as well. Does joking come naturally to you?

I think humour is the only way I deal with any of my problems. It’s a really effective way to talk about your feelings, to create a poignancy around things where just simply stating and telling can’t.

[It’s] the only way I’ve actually been able to open up to other people — apart from my therapist!

Maybe in some cases, I can use it as a defence mechanism, but it helps express trauma and feelings.

Ayesha Madon — Eulogy

There’s some hardcore choreography in the ‘Eulogy’ video. Do you consider yourself a dancing diva?

I definitely would love to consider myself [one]! [laughs] I danced all growing up and I started in musical theatre, so I’ve danced since I was little.

I think it’s played such a valuable role in the way I’ve learned discipline and my entry into the performing arts as a whole. Whether I describe myself as a dancer, I don’t think I would. I know too many good dancers to do that!

What’s the last photo you took on your phone?

I know exactly what it was! It was of the mountains in Switzerland just as I woke up. Every time I walk outside, I have to take a photo of the exact same mountains, because it’s just, like, so pretty.

Wait, where are you currently?

I’m in Wengen, a small town in the Swiss Alps. I’m writing in London for a few months, so I’m taking a few nights off in Switzerland because I’ve never been to Europe. I’m hiking with my family. It’s really fun!

Are you much of a hiker?

Yeah! I did Scouts for 12 years, which is random. I think my parents had so much emphasis on, like, outdoor activities and survival skills. Just immigrant parent things: “You will learn how to survive in the bush!”
There’s a lot of stuff I can’t remember, but I will say I’m really good at starting fires.

I don’t know how to tie any knots now, but we had to learn how to tie, God, it felt like 50 different knots. Probably not! But we had to tie so many different knots to qualify for this camp called Jamboree. That was a party trick back then.

What is your go-to comfort watch?

This is so weird. It’s not a specific one, but for some reason, it’s true crime.

If I’m feeling really yucky, or gross, or just after a long day of shooting or being in the studio, true crime puts everything into perspective for me. Like, I just watch it, and I’m like, ‘Well, at least that’s not my life’ [laughs].

Recently, I’ve been watching World’s Worst Roommate. That has a few seasons, so you won’t burn through it that quickly. But I’ve probably watched every single Netflix true crime documentary there is. There’s also a really weird supernatural one called Haunted, if you’re into that. It kind of traumatised me for life, but it’s so worth it.

What odd TikTok content are you enjoying right now?

There’s this guy who looks like he’s part of the Book of Mormon. And he says stuff like, “This is why you shouldn’t be a racist,” and has an interview with his “Indian friend” or an awkward moment with a different minority group.

It’s a little bit problematic, and I’m like, “Why is this on my For You page?” But it is the funniest account ever.

What is your go-to dish to cook for yourself?

Ooh! I make a really good Akuri, this Parsi breakfast. I’m Parsi, which is Indian Iranian. It’s spicy eggs with chilli, turmeric and different spices in there. I make a really good Akuri.

And what about to impress at a dinner party?

OK, hear me out on this, because when you hear shepherd’s pie, you think, bland, old English, peas. But I make an Indian-style shepherd’s pie, which is just one with flavour.

There’s a bit of tomato and spice, but [in terms of ingredients] you’ve got to play it by ear. My mum would be able to write down our recipe, though.

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Madon’s latest single Blame Me was co-produced by Japanese Wallpaper (Mallrat, Allday, Nick Ward). (Supplied: Yasmin Suteja)

You’ve said your upcoming EP explores your mental health. Why is that important to you?

For me, mental health has been, like, such a journey over the last few years. I only started struggling with my mental health once I hit 17 or 18, and I suppose you’ve got to write what you know.

So many young people struggle with their mental health, and I’ve been given the very unique opportunity to talk about my experience and have people listen. I want to be someone young people can look up to and not be like, ‘Oh,  that’s unattainable.’ I always want to be honest about my experience, so that’s first and foremost to me.

And as an actor, you’re always putting on a different hat. But with my music, my primary objective is to have autonomy over it and to be honest about my experiences and who I am.

Quotes have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Ayesha Madon’s single ‘Blame Me’ is out now.