Aparna Brielle plays Tina Mukerji in Netflix’s FUBAR. The second season is now streaming, and I had the chance to ask the actress about reprising her role, the fun of mixing action with comedy, the first time she felt seen on-screen, advocating for mental health, and more.

Luke Brunner is a veteran CIA operative who, up until recently, was on the verge of retirement. After his last mission in saving another operative – who just so happened to be his daughter – he’s back and face to face with new villains. This one is an old flame from Luke’s past who threatens to destroy the world…if she doesn’t destroy his life first.

We had a pretty huge reveal when it comes to Tina at the end of season 1. Do you feel like building the character in the first season, taking a break from filming, and then returning to reprise the role for season two gave you any new thoughts or unexpected insight into who she is? 
Aparna Brielle: It definitely gave me more time to let Tina marinate — I’m kind of a nerd in real life, and I love to dive deep into whatever world I’m lucky to play in. I used a lot of my time learning all about the art of spycraft, and I also spent a lot more time thinking about the emotional space Tina’s currently navigating, which is a really tricky position to be in. All of that allowed me to just let loose and have fun being present in the moment on set.

As an actor, what do you enjoy most about how the show mixes action and comedy? 
I think the action-comedy mix allows us to go to really intense and insane places, including outer space (no, I’m not kidding). When a show deals with these topics without taking itself too seriously, it’s allowed to get really imaginative and creative with the adventures it takes its audiences on.

As a viewer, what fascinates you most about the spy genre, and how has being part of this series changed your perspective on it? 
I’m really fascinated by the sheer scope of what intelligence officers are trained in. The art of disguise in such high-stakes settings is so impressive to me. I watched a lot of Jonna Mendez’s lectures about the art of disguise, about how her husband used that know-how in the famous ARGO operation. It just felt so important to the story that our showrunner, Nick Santora, and I were crafting with Tina. This experience has really made me think a lot about how the littlest things can change how you walk, talk, smile, move, and present yourself, all of which is invaluable to any actor.

Carrie-Anne Moss joins the cast this season! What is a lesson you learned from working with her that you are excited to apply in your future performances? 
Carrie-Anne is such a tremendous force of nature. She is so welcoming and genuinely so, so cool. I had my first ever foray into stunts this season, and she had a lot of great insights — not just in terms of making it look cool, but also in terms of making it a really memorable experience for me. She really emphasized the value of taking care of your spiritual and mental self while you’re jumping into a physically intense, jam-packed action sequence, and that’s something I’ve taken to heart with every single thing I’ve filmed since, action or otherwise.

I love how the show incorporates the father-daughter relationship brought to life by Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro. What do you think including a family dynamic adds to the power or impact of a story? 
I think adding a family dynamic adds that emotional thread we can all relate to, which is key to making a story work. The father-daughter relationship that Arnold and Monica bring to life has so many complications, as most family relationships do! But the beauty of that is there’s tremendous room for growth, with a healthy dose of humor along the way. And, let’s be honest, it also just makes it really fun to watch with your folks.

You’re a big advocate for increased diversity and representation in the industry. What was the first time you personally felt seen on-screen, and what changes do you want to see for entertainment in the (hopefully near) future? 
When I was growing up, it was really rare to see someone who looked like me on screen, especially in roles that weren’t just stereotypes or punchlines. But the first time I watched Bend It Like Beckham, it totally floored me. Parminder Nagra’s character was navigating both cultural expectations and her personal dreams, and it felt like the first time someone had taken a piece of my world and [was] reflecting it back to me. It was joyful, complicated, and affirming in a way that I didn’t even realize I was craving. The Mindy Project was another one — it was huge for me, as a fellow Tamil Indian, to see her success build up to this point where she wasn’t just part of a diverse cast; she was the center of it, writing her own story unapologetically.

What I really want to see more of now is exactly that: stories where we’re not just included to check a box, but where we are central to the narrative. I want roles where South Asian characters get to be weird, romantic, flawed, heroic… Fully human. And not just in stories about being Indian-American, but in all genres: thrillers, sci-fi, period pieces, coming-of-age stories. The future of representation, for me, means moving beyond visibility and into complexity. We’ve always existed in all our layers — it’s time the screen caught up.

Lastly, I want to touch on your passion for the importance of mental health awareness and well-being. Are there any shows, movies, or books that you feel have really helped move the conversation forward because of how accurate or well they portrayed the topic?
Mental Health has become such an important part of the conversation in storytelling, which I could not be happier about. One series I cannot recommend enough is BoJack Horseman (on Netflix). It’s an animated show, but it doesn’t shy away from the messiness of depression, addiction, and self-destructive behavior. It doesn’t glamorize these issues at all — it lets them be complicated and uncomfortable while still finding moments of empathy and even humor.

I also really loved Normal People, which explores anxiety, trauma, and the complexity of relationships in a really intimate and emotionally intelligent way. There’s something powerful about watching these characters silently struggle with their inner worlds, and how those struggles affect their ability to connect with others.

In general, I’m a big, big reader. I love a well-crafted self-improvement book for those days where you just need a roadmap. You Are A Badass, The Artist’s Way, and You Can Heal Your Life are three books that give you a different perspective on what kinds of emotional, spiritual, and mental blocks you could be experiencing and how to handle them.

These kinds of stories give people permission to feel what they’re feeling and talk about it. Sometimes they could highlight something you’ve experienced or witnessed and not really understood before. It’s a kind of visibility that’s life-changing, and it’s why I’m so passionate about continuing to advocate for mental health both on and off screen.