Sarah-Jane Dias: Stuck around even when things got hard

After floundering in Hindi cinema initially SarahJane Dias found her rhythm as she chose projects that spoke to her mdash be it the brave Angry Indian Goddesses 2015 or the mainstream Inside Edge With Amazon Prime Videorsquos Tandav the actor has added a bold political drama to her resume In a candid chat with midday Dias discusses playing a character far removed from her reallife persona and all that went into getting it rightEdited excerpts from the interviewWhat was your reaction when Tandav was offered to youI was asked to audition for the show At the time all I knew was that Ali Abbas Zafar was directing it I had no idea Saif Ali Khan would be a part of it Ayesha Pratap Singh her character is phenomenal and strong I love her interaction with Samar I was excited about the series because of Ali He is thorough with his workDo you keenly follow politicsI keep abreast of everything that is going on but I donrsquot dive deep into politicsA still from TandavWhat about Ayesharsquos character captivated youAyesha knows that her place is right next to Samar and she enjoys it She wants to be a loving and loyal wife and wants to make sure that her husbandrsquos ambition is realised She will do anything to make it happen If her actions are perceived as competitive or calculative then so be it Ayesha is my polar opposite She is reserved whereas I am outspoken She is poised secretive dressed in sarees all the time while I am animated trust easily and rarely wear sareesHow did you prep for this characterI have learned some interesting tools over the years and am diligent when it comes to preparing I went through the episodes and ensured that I have a timeline for my character so that I know what is happening before and after The script was so perfectly written that my characterrsquos traits could be imbibed just by reading it Once the hair makeup and wardrobe came into place I felt more like the character In terms of the preparation one conversation with Ali was enough I then did my own homework and developed the part the way I wanted toAny scene that felt empowering as an actorIt was a scene that they included in the trailer mdash I say ldquoCongratulations Mr Prime Ministerrdquo to my husband The reason the scene stands out is because of the context behind it I am a part of the political party but I handle its social lifeWith the show having grabbed eyeballs do you think this role will affect your future prospectsThe series has shown a different side of me which might surprise some people I hope it brings more weight to my craft and proves that I am a strong actorHas your 18year journey in the industry been fulfillingOne of my good friends Arunoday Singh once said ldquoIt is the ones that stick around that really make itrdquo Itrsquos one of the most poignant things any coactor has ever told me I stuck around even when it got hard and when I had no work At times I had too much work mdash I was doing everything from fashion shows to music videos and films There was a time when I was holding the Miss India crown and doing endorsements for beauty products I have also been busy with indie films