Shefali Sharma: Creating moving characters

Acclaimed Indian actress Shefali Sharma has consistently delivered compelling performances, ever since she made her debut with drama serial Bani – Ishq Da Kalma in 2013. This year she headlined recently concluded ZEE TV serial Sanjog and delighted audiences with her dynamic role of a devoted mother.

The versatile actress is looking forward to taking on more challenges and was happy to discuss her journey with Eastern Eye. She also spoke about working on Sanjog, inspirations and key advice that has helped her.

What first connected you to acting? 

As a child, I used to enjoy seeing someone play a lawyer, cop, or business

tycoon, and thought it was amazing that one person could do so many things, until I realised it was acting. I found that intriguing, and it led to me doing theatre from a very young age, in my school. Acting became a gateway to all these worlds, with each role being a process of give and take. But that first job, first pay-check, and first day at work will always be special. So (my first role) Bani from Bani-Ishq Da Kalma will always be special.

What was the experience of acting in Sanjog like? 

It was very nice. I took it as a challenge to play a mother and all things associated with the love a mother has for her child.

Are you disappointed that the show has just gone off-air? 

It’s the nature of life. As they say, nothing is permanent, or rather, everything in this world is temporary. One thing goes, another thing comes.

What was your favourite moment when portraying the role in Sanjog?

It was the different shades of being a mother, from maternal love to doing action sequences to save your child. The bond of a mother-daughter relationship, showcasing love, misunderstandings, hurt and pain, among others will remain memorable.

What is the plan going forward, and do you have a dream role? 

It’s fascinating to see what life has in store for me in terms of more exciting characters to portray. A dream role would be to play Priyanka Chopra’s role in the film Fashion.

Who would you love to work with?

My childhood dream is to work with Salman Khan.

What do you enjoy watching as an audience? 

I enjoy love stories and nice family dramas like Hum Saath Saath Hain and Vivah.

What inspires you? 

What inspires me about acting is having the opportunity to create characters and tell stories that emotionally move others. That opportunity to get under the skin of another human being and live in a different set of circumstances than mine keeps me going.

What is the best advice you ever got? 

The best advice has been to keep it simple, be honest, and not complicate things, and I do that when it comes to my profession. As a child, whenever I was confused or didn’t know if my actions were right or wrong, I used to close my eyes and see if my decisions impacted my parents in any way. And if I saw them happy, I knew I was doing ok. If I saw their faces sad or disappointed, I knew my actions or decisions were not good. I still follow the same practice.

Why do you love acting?

Acting is my passion and comes from within. I have been doing this since childhood and love to play different roles. Also, name recognition and glamour never attracted me. Purely acting attracted me, which is why I still enjoy it.