In an exclusive interview with , the Turkish actors spoke about dealing with emotionally exhausting schedules and watching Arafta become a hit.

Published on: Oct 3, 2026, 20:01:24 IST

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A year after Arafta began with its first table read on September 15, the Turkish romantic revenge drama has travelled much further than its makers could have expected. Co-produced by GoQuest Media and Rains Pictures, the series is now being broadcast in 28 countries and has found a particularly passionate audience in India.

While viewers have been following the twists and turns of Ateş and Mercan's relationship, the actors have had their own challenges behind the scenes. In an exclusive conversation with , Turkish actors Emin Günenç and İlsu Demirci spoke about filming those scenes, dealing with emotionally exhausting schedules and watching Arafta become a global hit. [This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity].

The hardest scenes were also some of the most memorable

For Ilsu, some of the most difficult moments came during the first season, particularly a pool sequence and a graveyard scene that required the actors to work in freezing conditions. She says, “For me, the first season had the most challenging scenes. Besides the freezing graveyard scene where we were covered in mud and water in paper-thin clothes, the pool scene was incredibly difficult. I was tied up and stationary in a freezing pool from the crack of dawn until the evening. Even with wetsuits underneath, the water got everywhere. I was literally freezing and almost drowning; I started panicking and swallowing water. I actually cried on set that day from the sheer exhaustion and cold.”

However, one of the scenes from that same stretch of filming remains particularly close to her. It was the moment Mercan tries to save Ateş after he passes out. “The scene where Emin passes out and I take off my veil to apply pressure to his wound turned out beautifully. I was genuinely crying, and even though my wedding dress was incredibly heavy from the water and mud, it remains one of my favorite scenes,” she adds.

Emin adds that the first season finale was one of the toughest shoots he has experienced. His scene required him to lie inside a freshly dug grave while rainwater slowly rose around him. This was the scene after they officially get married after falling in love. “There is a very intense scene in the season two finale, but I can't give spoilers!” he says, before adding, “As for season one, the hardest scene was definitely the finale. We shot it in January, under heavy rain, in the middle of a forest. I had to lay in a freshly dug grave as it slowly filled with freezing rainwater until it reached my ears. The crew watching behind the camera was literally crying. The producer even called to check on us because it looked so awful. That was the most physically demanding day of my acting career. I was shivering so much from the cold that even though my eyes were closed to play dead, my jaw was visibly shaking.”

When a day off means staying home

Ilsu says the schedule has changed how she spends her free time. Someone who normally enjoys being around people, she often finds herself wanting nothing more than to stay home after a long week of filming.

Emin says, “Normally, I love socialising, but during filming, I get so exhausted that I often don't even want to leave the house. I've kind of become a homebody. On my days off, I just want to stay in my safe space, put my feet up, and let the voices in my head stop. Now that things are a bit more settled, I'm trying to be more social again and see my friends and family.”

Meanwhile, Islu adds, “It's the same for me. Because the scenes are so heavy and emotionally draining—especially in the winter—I felt gloomy even on my days off. Working in a crowded, noisy environment six days a week means that when you finally get a break, you just crave silence. I preferred to be alone at home to rest my mind. But lately, I've been trying to socialise a bit more so I don't lose my mind completely!”

They did not expect Arafta to travel this far

The series began as a Turkish production, but its audience has now spread across several international markets. For the actors, seeing Arafta reach 28 countries has been one of the biggest surprises of the past year.

Emin says that he was confident about the show's potential from the beginning. In fact, he remembers telling the producer that he believed it would exceed expectations even before he had taken on the role. “Honestly, it went far beyond our expectations. When the team first approached me for the role of Ateş, I told our producer, ‘Whether I take this role or not, this show will exceed your expectations and break records.’ And here we are, broadcasting in 28 countries! We expected success because the story was very strong, but I never imagined this level of love and admiration. I believe it's due to the incredible harmony among our cast and crew. Without that chemistry, we couldn't have achieved this,” he says.

İlsu adds she always believed the show could do well, but the scale of its international response was difficult to imagine. “I could have guessed the show would be successful, but I never expected it to go this far and gain this much global popularity. It's truly a huge opportunity for us. As Emin said, our harmony as a cast is excellent, and that is absolutely one of the biggest reasons for the show's success,” she explains.

About Arafta

The show's central story follows Ateş Karahan (Emin Günenç), a man driven by revenge, and Mercan Yıldırım (İlsu Demirci), who is pushed into a 187-day contract marriage because of her family's debts. What begins as a calculated move on Ateş's part slowly becomes complicated when the two start developing genuine feelings for each other. The first season took the pair through family secrets, jealousy, betrayal and several dangerous situations before ending on a dramatic note. Season two has raised the stakes again with the revelation that Ateş's sister Eylül is alive, forcing him to question the version of his past that has driven his revenge. It is streaming on Prime Video's MX Player.

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