Neelima Sharma on playing the lead in Anuparna Roy's Lovers in the Blue Night after hitting rock bottom

Neelima Sharma

When actor Neelima Sharma was at rock bottom, acclaimed filmmaker Anuparna Roy offered her a role in Lovers in the Blue Night. A year later, Sharma is packing her bags for Venice as the film prepares to premiere at the 83rd Venice Film Festival. "I had given so many auditions but nothing was working out. That same month, Anuparna spoke to me about the film. I was exhausted and losing hope. But today, it doesn't seem so bad," she tells mid-day.

A still from ‘Lovers in the Blue Night'. Pics/Instagram, Facebook, AFP, Youtube

The film follows four migrants in Mumbai whose lives intersect through love and desire. Sharma plays a woman carrying the trauma of a hometown that "was affected by the floods". "[My character] is driven by the desire to feel seen and heard. Her home doesn't exist anymore. She has lost her family, her existence, and now has migrated to Mumbai," shares the actor.

Taking on her first feature as a lead could have been nerve-wracking, but Roy's "faith in me" made the experience easier. "Her stories hold so much power and love that you immediately want to be a part of it. You feel called towards it," she adds.

Did you know?

Director Anuparna Roy became the first Indian to win the Best Director award in the Orizzonti section, last year at the 82nd Venice Film Festival for her debut film ‘Songs of Forgotten Trees'

Sept 2
When the 10-day long 83rd Venice Film Festival begins