Stepping into Sultan Of Delhi’s world would be a risk, thought Anupriya Goenka, when she was offered the negative role of Shankari. The Tahir Raj Bhasin-led gangster drama also required her to perform intimate scenes. But it was a risk the actor wanted to take, as she firmly believed in the character and in director Milan Luthria.

“This character was a risk because it was positioned in such a way that it involved sensuous scenes. But Milan sir promised me that the character was meaty, and that I was in safe hands. I have always looked for characters that have an arc and are involved in the entire plot. At heart, Shankari is a woman of substance, despite many of her actions being against societal norms,” says Goenka.

The actor brought restraint as well as her own interpretation to the part. “It’s a vamp-ish role, and sometimes our performances are influenced by what we’ve seen on screen. So, [I had] the desire to [approach] the same thing differently.”

In her 10-year career, the actor has been a part of several biggies like Tiger Zinda Hai (2017), Padmaavat (2018), and War (2019). She has also played pivotal parts in Criminal Justice, Asur and Aashram. Today, Goenka says she is driven more by her love for acting than the materialistic benefits that the profession brings along.

“Over the past two years, I started exploring new skills, like horse riding and dance classes. The motivation was to fill myself with newer experiences. I have become more unabashed. I want to work with newer voices, but I also want to be part of big projects as they are mounted better.”