Sharvari: ‘I don’t let anybody decide the film I want to do’

Sharvari. Pics/Instagram, Youtube

Main Vaapas Aaunga, for Sharvari, wasn't merely another film. To her, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's love story was an experience she instinctively wanted to be a part of. "What attracted me was the story itself. When I heard [the narration], I instantly wanted to be a part of it. You know that point, where you feel, ‘If I don't do it, I'll feel terrible'? It was that feeling," she smiled.

(L-R) Vedang Raina and Sharvari in the film

Ali's period drama looks at how the blossoming love between Sharvari and Vedang Raina's characters remained unrequited due to India's Partition. Before stepping into the role, Sharvari travelled to the Partition Museum in Amritsar to understand the displacement that shaped the era. She recalled, "I dragged my mother along, spent time at the Partition Museum, and did so much research that I knew what the film's world entailed."

Sharvari is currently focusing on her yet-untitled next with Ahaan Panday, which is helmed by Ali Abbas Zafar. "We are shooting in the UK. It has been a fun ride so far," she said.

She will follow the film up with Alpha, Sooraj Barjatya's Yeh Prem Mol Liya, and Ali Abbas Zafar's next. Certainly, an enviable line-up. When young stars are encouraged to choose "safe", she refuses to let external voices - whether managers, publicists, or industry expectations - dictate her choices.

"I don't let anybody decide the film I want to do because for me, the journey matters. The six months I spend with a character, my directors, and co-actors are special. When I'm starting a new film, I [talk] about the people I will meet. After the shoot, I don't want to go to the next film because I'm so consumed by the previous experience."

July 10
When Yash Raj Films' spy thriller ‘Alpha', starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari, will hit the screens