Known for her work in Corona Papers and also in Dharavi Bank for which she won both the IIFTA and OTT play debut awards, actress Sandhya Shetty says, “The recognition pushes me to perform better and entertain my audience with more challenging roles and films.”
The actress, a Commonwealth gold medallist in Karate, says, “My first career choice was to join the Army or become a cop, and playing that in reel life felt exciting. My Karate training and four years in the NCC helped me play the top cop in Corona Papers.”
She adds, “When I was given the opportunity to star in Corona Papers, I was overjoyed and it was nothing short of a dream come true. The portrayal of a woman in uniform is never easy or boring. It was exciting to have the opportunity to fulfil my dream of becoming a police officer in reel life. Since I had a personal connection to Gracy, I strongly identified with her.”
Though she was born and raised in Mumbai, the actor, who has also done theatre, managed to make a mark in the South. Her projects include Bengali film Kaal with National award-winning Director Bappaditya Bandhopadhyay, Tamil film Nimir with Priyadarshan, and Bus Yun Hi directed by Raja Menon.
“Working with Priyadarshan on ‘Povukku’, the title song for Nimir, was an eye-opener,” the actress shares, adding, “I loved the way he captured me on camera. His approach to making films and telling stories has always fascinated me.”
Do you care about a character’s length? we ask. “As an actor, the plot, the director, and my character are the three main factors that influence my choice of movie. Although the character’s length is important, its strength comes from the intensity of its defence rather than its size. Although there was a limited amount of screen space in Dharavi Bank, the impact was always huge. I became “Parvathy” for everyone,” says Sandhya.
Asked whether theatrical releases or OTT releases attract more viewers, Sandhya says, “The entertainment industry has thrived over the years on great theatrical release. However, I believe that OTT platforms give more options for showcasing stories across a variety of platforms. There is a certain audience that enjoys the theatre experience and will continue to do so, and the arena has recently grown and improved. I believe the audience base has grown because the OTT audience enjoys watching quality films from the comfort of their homes. Certain films require the scale of a large screen and the drama of a theatrical release that cannot be replaced by OTT screening, and vice versa.”
