In an industry often dominated by commercial giants, Shahana Goswami has chosen a different path, associating herself with meaningful cinema. However, she acknowledges that there were instances in the past when she played smaller parts in prominent projects alongside renowned directors she admired. As time passed, she realised that these minor roles didn’t align with her artistic aspirations.

Her last two projects, Neeyat and Zwigato (both from this year), display a shift in her work preferences. Both these films may not have been large-scale projects, but Goswami played central characters in them. “I no longer want to do these kind of small roles in big projects,” she tells us, adding, “I am still very open to and would, in fact, love to do a very out-and-out Bollywood film like Pathaan [but not do small roles in them].” 

The actor, who is noted for her performances in projects such as Rock On!! (2008), A Suitable Boy and Bombay Begums, among others, adds, “I am bored of the kind of things that I have done, and people keep offering them again and again. Now I need something more exciting. I choose to be and live a certain way, and people only see that part; they don’t realise how I can shoulder a film, entertain people or dance with conviction.”

In Zwigato, she plays the wife of an ex-factory worker (played by Kapil Sharma), who loses his job due to the pandemic-induced unemployment. Her character, then, takes up a part-time job and supports her family financially, against all odds. Similarly, in Neeyat, Goswami plays a prime character as the girlfriend of an exiled billionaire (Ram Kapoor), who is murdered. By being a part of such projects, the actor hopes to explore new horizons, but also points out the challenges of breaking away from typecasting in the industry: “Ultimately, between the audience and the makers, everybody kind of ends up typecasting. We have a tendency as an audience to typecast certain actors for certain kinds of roles.” 

The 37-year-old believes that such limitations can hinder artistes from showcasing their true potential. Nevertheless, she remains “hopeful and understands that the film industry is a business that prioritizes returns on investments”.