Anushka, on her new highway'

The actress–filmmaker is all set to announce her return to the arc lights, not only with the second season of her production venture Paatal Lok 2, but also her other projects as an actress.

The Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi actress says she is striving to change the narrative for content in India, never mind if she had to turn producer.

“I was told by many that I should concentrate on my film career and not get distracted by production. Today, I can’t imagine myself without NH10, Pari, Phillauri, Bulbbul, Paatal Lok and the exciting projects that lie ahead. The journey started with NH10 and while it started with a bang, I can tell you that I was a clueless producer,” admits Anushka candidly.

The actress, whose child Vamika completed two months, says she herself was too young when she began her career as a filmmaker. “I was young, and I had to really take time out to understand the ropes of production and I’m thankful that I had my brother Karnesh (Ssharma) who shared my vision and passion of giving clutter-breaking content to audiences. I had a head full of dreams and my brother really fanned my thoughts and brought his strong content sensibilities to the fore. We were and are a great team,” she says.

Having undertaken her journey to disrupt the content landscape, Anushka is glad she took the punt at 25. “And if I’ve been able to change the discourse of being a female producer in town who is always looking to be disruptive, I consider myself fortunate. I have always felt a responsibility to stand for good content and deliver fresh entertainment to audiences. NH10 showed how a woman can fight to survive, can stand up for herself. I’m glad I became a producer with an important film in our cinematic history.”

Finally, Anushka seems quite content that she chose to be an actor–producer. “And I’m lucky that I was successful doing both. It definitely helped in showing our industry that actresses are not unidimensional,” she says.