Playing a small-town character in her next, Anushka Sharms says actors are increasingly gravitating towards roles rooted in reality
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 17, 2018)

She may have had her share of glamorous roles, but Anushka Sharma says she often finds herself drawn to characters that have their roots in reality. Case in point being her next, Sui Dhaaga — Made In India, which sees the actor essaying the role of a small- town embroidery artist Mamta.

Pointing out that more and more actors are greenlighting films that may not be necessarily mainstream, Sharma says, “Commercial actors are lending themselves to off-beat films because of the audience’s demands. Viewers today are exposed to various web platforms; they are able to sample diverse content. Since there is so much awareness about the kind of content on offer, people are looking for good stories and realistic cinema.” In an industry that is largely driven by glamour, Sharma has not shied away from picking up roles that required her to go de-glam — be it in the gritty drama NH10 (2015) or Phillauri (2017).

She credits the audience for embracing actors who are true to their on- screen characters. “Actresses are playing characters that are adapted from society. I don’t think every woman wears make-up or hair extensions. Films like Dangal [2016] and Sultan [2016] went on to do terrific business, and actresses in these films weren’t dolled up the way we usually see them. This is happening only because the audience has evolved. They are concentrating on stories and not on the actors’ looks.”