Riding high on the success of Dharavi Bank, actress Sandhya Shetty has paved her own path to success in the industry. The actress, who was recently seen in Corona Papers, speaks to The Pioneer on progressing OTT platforms with her work and more.
Actress Sandhya Shetty said that she enjoyed working on the Priyadarshan film Corona Papers and is satisfied with the way she is progressing on OTT platforms. She also mentioned that she would love to do some newly discovered genres in the future that will push her even further out of her comfort zone and challenge those who assume that she is just a supermodel.
“It is happening in the industry; there are a very small number of scripts that are floating around. The story should be a big win-win, so the director should primarily focus on the story. This is the only reason on the equation that there are so few good films floating around,” she shared.
There is no surprise that 2022 was a fantastic year for Indian cinema! Audiences had the opportunity to witness cinematic juggernauts emerging from different corners of the country. One such cinematic juggernaut was Dharavi Bank, of which Sandhya Shetty was a crucial part. That’s why she’s making headlines to a certain degree. Refusing to call her last one with a Malayali film director a remake, she explicates, “I wouldn’t call Corona Papers a remake in the literal sense. We would like to define it as a movie that is inspired by the original. The director was inspired by the creativity of the original! Adaptation could be the right word, but not remake. I don’t believe in it. But the adaptation should always look better than the original, and only then is it a success!”
So what was the best part about the last film that she shot? Oh, there were many, such as “The director believed in working with most of the younger talent rather than going for the novices. I was the only Tulu on the sets. The film’s context is Malayali, yet Priyadarshan decided to give me my own space as a top cop in the film. He didn’t pressurise me to project myself as a Malayali cop only on screen. He showed conviction in me—I could still pull off the role without being a true blue Malayali. So this shows how Priyadarshan is a legendary filmmaker. He took us on a smooth ride. All the hard work was done even before we came on the sets, and all credit goes to the crew.”
So true that we are boring witnesses to the stunning variety of stories, people, and cultures these days with every passing hit, whether on the silver screen or streaming giants.
The television presenter continued, “Ask me what language I speak, and I’ll tell you I speak Tulu. That’s where a fence is rising! Because I was speaking Malayalam on sets. Learning and speaking another language in another city for a film is when we start learning new techniques as actors that we are unaware of. Another example could be when I played the daughter of Suniel Shetty in Dharavi Bank, and I was totally in an Indian avatar, although I come from an eclectic fashion space as a supermodel.
There I was, elegantly carrying as many saris as I could. Suddenly I am playing the role of a cop who is totally action-oriented. I am tough and rough. So the onus is on you to show how you beautifully transition from one character to another. If I talk about myself personally, I am someone who gets bored very easily, so my roles should be very exciting. The whole filmmaking experience fills me with excitement these days.”
And here comes a revelation: “Before coming into the entertainment business, my total inclination was to become an Army officer. I prepared for three years consecutively. In fact, I participated in the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. It’s okay if those dreams didn’t come true in reality; there is a reel for me now! I am assuming, to some extent, that I received this role also because everyone knows in the industry that I am a black belt in karate. Everybody knows I am a professional fighter and have fought competitively. If I can boast a little, let me tell you that I got a gold medal in the Commonwealth Games for our country. That is how I am well versed in action.”
Besides being an actress, there are a plethora of things that captured our interest in Sandhya Shetty, and on a signing note, the Miss India finalist expressed, “There are no compensations in life. But the right timing really matters. Banking on it, I was always at the right time at the right place. Dharavi Bank was a game changer for me; it became a phenomenal hit on OTT. Now that a national award-winning filmmaker like Priyadarshan is tackling me, what else can I ask for? Netizens are showering love on me on all social media platforms, and not just from the Hindi belt but from south India too.
The only advantage I had from being a Miss India finalist was that I was already well-groomed for the industry. I knew how to face the camera. I knew what glitz and glamour were. So being an actor is not an easy job — you are constantly travelling in every weather condition. Not every moment is glamorous in showbiz.”
