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DNA (May 23, 2016)

It surprised a lot of people when Anushka Sharma was picked to play a wrestler named Aarfa in Sultan. Anushka looks dainty and urbane, but as you can see from the first look of the film, her persona hasn’t impacted her village girl act. Aarfa, the wrestler, takes on the boys and wins.

In the film, Anushka handles domestic tasks with ease. There is a scene in the film in which Aarfa has to make cow dung cakes — a common form of household fuel used in Haryana. While the film’s production team was iffy about her comfort with cow dung, she surprised everyone.

Speaking about the many faces of Aarfa, Anushka said, “Her strength lies in her quiet but resolute ability to manage work at home, on a farm and still focus on wrestling. Every Indian home has a hero in the woman who keeps everything together, and ensures that the family is cared for. Through Aarfa, I hope to highlight their strength and contribution to society and family.”

Not just on screen, in real life too, Anushka has been juggling different roles effortlessly. She has been shooting for her second home production in Punjab since mid-April. She spent a week shooting for Sultan and then reported on the Phillauri sets. The actress will fly into Mumbai for a day for the grand Sultan trailer launch, and fly back to Punjab to finish her home production by June. When it comes to managing life and passions, Anushka and Aarfa have quite a few parallels.