“I Am Not Open To Acting In Web Series Because I Am Against Sleaze And Vulgarity In Any Form”- Hema Sharma

She is cute, petite, feminine and graceful, clad in a demure sari when I meet up for this interview at Café Coffee Day in Andheri. In this informal interview HEMA SHARMA tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that she is happy that Anupam Kher with whom she has acted in the latest film One Day Justice Delivered has promised her that he will come up with a book of poems written by her.

Is One Day Justice Delivered your debut film as an actress?

No. It is my third film as an actress. I had made my debut with the film Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se in 2017. In YPD Phir Se, I was cast along with Dharmendraji and Kriti Kharbanda. As a girl hailing from a middle class family in a small town like Modinagar near Ghaziabad, it was thrilling to act with Dharamji especially because my late father had christened me Hema because he was very fond of Dharmendraji. I did not even dream that my first film would be with one other than Salman Khan himself. After I started acting for Dabangg 3, which opens with a scene of mine, I feel I have a close contact with Salman, but though I respect Salman, I do not love him or am a fan of his. I have even told him as well as his mother than I do not love him or am his fan, because he has crores of fans, all over the world who tell him that they love him.

Your next release is One Day Justice Delivered. What is your role in the film?

Though Esha Gupta is playing the main lead in the film, director Ashok Nanda asked me to do a special dance number in the wedding ceremony of Anupam Kher’s daughter, because he needed not a glamorous model but a next door family girl for the part. The song was supposed to cover a kaand  which was being held simultaneously when I was dancing, as will be revealed later in the film in a flashback. The shoot was held in Ranchi where Dev, who is Ganesh Acharya’s assistant, choreographed the fun, peppy and happy number Tere Mausa Ka Attitude by God Jaise Koyi Afsar Hai with me. Anupam plays the retired Justice in the film. In my dance number, which is trending now in social media, I got a chance to express my emotions, not expose my body in front of the audiences.

How was it for you to interact with an actor like Anupam Kher?

Anupamji is an actor par excellence. It was wonderful learning a tip or two in acting from him while acting in the film with him. Anupamji has praised me for my poems and has even promised that he would publish a book of my poems shortly as he feels that I am a good writer who expresses her thoughts very lucidly.

Was it easy for you to get a break in films?

After my B.A, I worked in McDonald, a hospital as a receptionist, an airline, Airtel and in a banquet hall at parties at a very young age as I had to sustain a family consisting of my two brothers and a younger sister. Bunty Rathod of Meerut, who was the writer of YPD Phir Se, recommended me to the director Navneet Singh of the film and asked me to audition for the part of Kriti’s friend. I confess that it was not at all a challenging role for an actress like me but I grabbed it because I felt that it was a good enough break to begin with for me.

Is it true that you wanted to be a choreographer in the beginning?

Way back in 2015 in the USA, I had the opportunity to choreograph dances for celebrities like Esha Deol, Neha Dhupia and Govinda, for some shows held there where after watching me dance, the popular RJ Shobha Joshi of Geetanjali Radio Station told me that I should have been Hema Malini’s daughter as I danced better than Esha Deol and I was actually on Cloud 9.

Have you been trained in dancing as well?

I have been learning Bharat Natyam as well as kathak right from childhood and not only learning but also teaching even aunties how to dance even while I was studying in 8^th standard and earning 8000 bucks every month.

Have you also been a part of TV shows as an actress?

Yes. I have acted in Samrat Ashok earlier and right now I am a part of the TV show Kahaan Tum Kahaan Hum.

Is it true that you are averse to doing web series?

Yes. I am not at all open to do web series. I turned down Farhad Samji’s offer to be part of Ekta Kapoor’s latest web series Booo Sabki Phategi with Tusshar Kapoor and Mallika Sherawat which is on air on ALT Balaji where I was asked to play the part of Ruchi because Kiku Sharda who is playing a totla in it had to address me as Chuchi. I believe in being feminine and being a girl with grace though if the script demands it, I would not mind doing even lip to lip kisses.

What is your take on wearing a two piece bikini?

You should wear only those costumes in which you will feel comfortable. The tragedy with the young women of today is that they have adopted the Western costume whereas men yearn to see girls in traditional Indian clothes. I feel that it would be a big compliment when a man wants to touch you when you are attired in traditional costumes, like sari which does not reveal much of your body. It is sad that today’s girls have no dharam, karam or for that matter sharam.Now I am sure when a director offers me another part, he will know in which role, I will be comfortable as an actress.

Weren’t you skeptical of the syndrome of the casting couch in Bollywood when you set out to act?

Basically, I possess a very strong sixth sense and can easily see through a fake person from even a long distance. I am also shrewd enough to smell a wrong person easily

Who are your favorite actors in Bollywood?

Rajesh Khanna has always been my favorite, followed by Kajol, Preity Zinta, Sharmila Tagore, Hema Malini and Madhuri Dixit.

What next, after Day One Justice Delivered?

I am all set to play the lead in  a Kannada film which has as yet been not titled starring Shivraj Kumar in the lead opposite me. The film will be directed by Shahabuddin Choudhary who had earlier produced and directed the TV serials like Bepanaah with Jennifer Winget and Om Sai.

For more Bollywood updates, follow Bollyy!

Tags: Bollywood, Bollywood News, Bollywood Updates, Television, Telly News, Hema Sharma,  Web Series, Interview