Melanie Nazareth: It’s a blessing to work with Prateek Sharma, he knows my potential more than I do

Melanie Nazareth plays the role of Gulnaz in Prateek Sharma’s upcoming show Rabb Se Hai Dua. The actor is excited to be a part of this love story and her character.

“Gulnaz is the one who is going to add spice and light up the screen with her presence because she has so many facets and so many shades. Even when there is nothing to do she is going to create some drama. She is the trouble maker. I am a very calm person and believe that we all are born angels. And, if we are being evil then it’s circumstantial. So my character Gulnaz is not negative, she is an angel caught up in dark circumstances,” she says before adding, “Dil se meri yahi rabb se dua hai ki our show connects with the audience and makes its place in their hearts.”

Getting the offer for the show was special for Melanie. “In many shows, as far as performances are concerned, it’s usually the main leads who get to do everything, even though most of the character actors grace every corner of the screen. When I heard the story of Rabb Se Hai Dua, I got to know that every character has a graph. Every character contributes to the story and has strong performance. Besides, it’s a show based on the Muslim community which is not done very often and that made me more curious to play the role. Also, it’s a LSD Production so I know the role is going to be challenging,” she adds.

This is the actor’s fourth show with Prateek and LSD. So working on this show felt like a homecoming experience.

“It’s been a blessing in disguise. I have seen Prateek most of the time laughing his heart out. He is an amazing person. The way he expresses in words about the people around him is amazing. He doesn’t leave his team and takes them together. He knows my potential more than ever I could recognise it. Every character that he has offered to me has been different from the other,” she says.

Urdu language is different and rich. “After our first workshop when I went back home I had to gargle with salt water because my throat was so dry. After a couple of workshops when I spoke the language, my words came out the clearest ever. I actually remember Mr Shah Rukh Khan when he said that you need to speak from your epiglottis. Besides, we had amazing guidance and help from our writers. There was emphasis on every word. Urdu is indeed rich and it wasn’t easy to learn in,” she shares.

Daily soap means a lot of hard work and patience. And, Melanie is ready to give it her all.

Talking about who inspires her, she says, “I can’t point out a single actor because there is a plethora of existing and rising talent worldwide. I get inspired every day from different people. Everyone is so amazing with their talent and performances.”

Melanie feels the TV industry has evolved over the years. “I have been part of this industry for many years and the work now has become more organised and convenient. Nowadays because of the different creative departments, you have all of them offering everything to an actor on a platter, so a lot of things are taken care of,” she adds.

Ask if an alternate career is important as a backup given that there's a lot of competition in showbiz and the actor replies, “I am not sure because I never gave a thought about it. But given the insecurities in our lives, I would definitely say that we do need an alternate source of income.”