ACCLAIMED Indian actress Sheeba Akashdeep has combined a successful cinematic career that includes Bollywood hits such as Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani with winning turns on several top television dramas.
She has been playing a key role in the drama serial, Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si, since it was launched in 2023. The show, which is broadcast on Star Plus and streaming site Hotstar, has delighted audiences, adding to the impressive projects the actress has starred in during a glittering 33-year career.
Eastern Eye met the popular star to catch up on her work so far, latest serial and aspirations.
How do you reflect on your acting journey?
It has been interesting so far, but there is still a lot more to do.
You have played a wide array of interesting characters. Which has been the closest to your heart?
The role I most enjoyed playing was in my first movie, Yeh Aag Kab Bujhegi. I played a girl named Pooja who gets burned alive for dowry. The same year (in 1991), I played a memorable role in the film Nachnewale Gaanewale. Acting as a rikshaw driver in Hum Hain Kamaal Ke (1993) also remains unforgettable. I started my journey with these projects, so they will remain special.
Tell us about your experience working on Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si.
Acting on the show has been wonderful, with lovely co-stars, a great script and different content. It’s such a talented unit. So, all in all, it is just amazing to shoot Baatein Kuch Ankahee Si.
Do you have different approaches to acting in films and on television?
The approach is exactly the same. I don’t change the way I approach a part in either of the mediums.
Do you have a dream role you want to do now?
I don’t have just one character, but multiple roles I would love to perform. I want to do many parts and truly feel that I have it in me now [to do justice to the roles].
Who would you love to work with?
I would love to work with all the wonderful directors who extract really amazing work from their actors. I have all the top directors on my bucket list.
What do you enjoy watching as an audience?
I love watching lighter movies and shows that have great content. I recently binge-watched Real Women. I really enjoyed that, I must say.
What inspires you as an actress? Great parts motivate and stimulate me professionally. What I am really interested in is a well-defined role that allows me to mould myself into a specific accent or look.
What are your biggest passions, apart from your profession?
My pets, animals, reading, gardening, my family and great evenings with friends. These are my interests away from work.
If you could master something new, what would it be?
Last year, I learned scuba diving and was certified as a diver. So, next, I would like to learn to fly a plane.
Why do you love acting?
I enjoy being an actress because it helps me craft dreams and reinvent myself every single day, in terms of looks, characters, emotions, accent, mannerisms and everything else. Acting enables me to experience multiple lives within a single lifetime.
Sandhya Suri poses during a photocall for the film "Santosh" at the 77th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 21, 2024.