Exclusive! Shriyam Bhagnani: “I have just started; there is a long way to go ahead”

Shriyam Bhagnani had never planned a career in acting. The turning point in her life was chance participation in a street play in college that made her realise what her true calling was. Once she knew what she wanted in her career, she left no stone unturned to achieve that. Today, she has a few successful films and shows to her credit and the count is expected to keep rising as time goes by.

Recently, Eastern Eye caught up with Bhagnani and talked to her about her new show City of Dreams 2, her experience working with the stellar cast of the show, things that she wants to accomplish in her life and, of course, her forthcoming projects. Excerpts…

What made you say yes to City of Dreams 2?

I think the fact the character of Tanya was written the way it was written, the way Nagesh Kukunoor sir had imagined her to be. When I met him, he explained to me what the character would be like and the moment I heard that I do not think I had any reason to not say yes to play her.

Can we expect Tanya and Arvind to be a part of season 3 as well?

For me, Tanya has a lot of ambitions that she still wants to fulfil. I can say the same for Arvind’s character as well. He has changed and is ready to mend his ways. Having said that, whether or not Tanya and Arvind will be there in season 3 is something only writers can tell you.

Your character in City of Dreams 2 is fearless!  How did you prepare for it?

Tanya is a step ahead of me, for sure. She does things that are not only scary but risky also. Whatever she was doing was greater than the fear itself at that point in time.

You have worked with some of the really talented actors in City of Dreams 2. Was it intimidating?

When you are with such talented actors on set, you always get to learn something from the experience that they have and the amount of work that they have done. I am very new in the industry. I am at a very nascent stage of my career as an actor, so it was a huge help working with such talented people because they constantly help you out. The fact that they are not intimidating and super humble makes them such stellar stars of the industry.

Were you excited or nervous on the first day of the shoot?

Of course, I was very nervous, excited and scared. I was excited as I wanted to explore Tanya as I had really liked her character in the script. The first person I met on my first day of the shoot was Priya Bapat ma’am. We met first in the morning even before we got ready for our shot. She came to my van and made sure that I felt very comfortable and that I was not scared because she knew it was my first day. After that, it was a breeze. Doing that entire scene with her was just fun.

You shot for City of Dreams 2 during the pandemic. How was it different from the pre-pandemic times?

It was a very different experience, with all those regular tests on the set all the time, constant sensitisation and everything. The make-up artists and hair-dressers work so closely with us, so maintaining that level of distance was difficult but that was done. Everybody was in their masks. Wearing a PPE suit all the time in such scorching heat of Mumbai was something everybody was struggling with, but the passion everybody came with was even stronger than that of pre-Covid times. Before the pandemic, we worked with passion, but this time around, it was more of like we will work despite these difficulties, we will overcome these difficulties and make the project. So, I think that was very different this time.

You have previously spoken about how you enjoyed working with Ankur Rathee on City of Dreams 2. Tell us more about your working relationship with the actor?

I think he was the last person I met in the team. I met him for the first time on the set itself. Whenever there was a break between our shots, we would discuss our scenes about how Tanya and Arvind would feel about certain things, and other stuff also. So, we would talk to each other about these things. I think the fact that we became such good friends off-screen got translated really well on screen as well and the bond showed. I feel he is a very experienced and wise person and there is always a lot to learn from him.

Do you remember when you decided that you wanted to be an actress? Was it after watching a particular film or performance?

It was not actually after watching a film or performance in particular but experiencing it myself for the first time. I was roped in to act in a play in my college. I did not know anything about acting and performing till that point in time. I was playing and focusing on tennis in life. But this play happened as a part of extracurricular activities in college and I had to do it. That was the time when I acted for the first time and it made me realise that ‘Okay, this is something that I really, really like’.

What are some things that you still want to accomplish?

There are a lot of things that I still want to accomplish. I have just started. I have covered a zero-step in my journey, I think. There is a long way to go ahead. Not just in acting but in life as well. I want to travel the world and see as much as I can. I want to play as many characters as I possibly can.

What is next in store for you?

There are some projects I will be talking about soon.

City of Dreams 2 is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.