Sheeba Chadha on her growing fandom, why she is a ‘lazy actor’ and her urgent search for ‘dangerous content’

Ahead of her latest Disney Plus Hotstar series The Trial–headlined by Kajol and directed by Suparn Verma–the veteran sits down to chat with indianexpress.com about her career, her choices which have sometimes been dictated by money, the urgent need for more “dangerous” content and why she feels she is inherently an extremely lazy actor.

Edited excerpts:

 

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This character looks like such a departure from what we have seen you do in the last two films where you played mothers in a small-town setting.

It was organic for me to do this. I had to connect with the calls of each role. The mothers in Badhaai Do and Doctor G were different, and I had to approach them like that. I had to understand the calling, which of course was different for the part in The Trial. Here, it was a sense of power she has, but not the kind she flaunts or needs to display. She just is and keeps the firm together.

Is there something different that you look for today when a script comes to you?

No, it is the story first, then my place in the story, the team and the money, all of these boxes have to be ticked. It really is about better written character.

Was there a phase when money was a bigger priority to choose a project so that it helps keeps the house running?

Always. Money is like a very critical of our work, like everyone else. It is integral. It is true that I have done way more work for money earlier. It is an important criteria and even now I will be doing work which I will do for money and some work which is for other stuff. It is a real thing, and it is true for all actors. One has to, because as you grown in life, your demands also grow.

 

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When one has worked for so long, how does one get surprised with good work? Isn’t there a feeling of been-there-done-that?

No. I just wish even more dangerous content was written. When I use that word, I really mean that there should be more nuanced characters to work with. I wish more. But I don’t invest in feeling that I have done it all, now I am not having fun. In fact, I enjoy going to sets! Every set you go to now, you are like, ‘Wow this was so much fun!’ Earlier, this didn’t used to happen. In fact, I will say this unabashedly that TV became a depleting medium to work in, once the daily soaps came in. Before that I have truly done wonderful work. Once that came (daily soaps), it became terrible. Apart from that now, literally every set I go to, I enjoy a lot. Thank God for that!

You want filmmakers to come to you with edgier content?

There are so many stories to still tell. Women my age, with my body of work… There is a lot more that can be explored.  I wish it was a little bit more for sure.

A lot of female artistes do say that after a certain age the industry stops giving you exciting work. It is good, but it is not ‘dangerous’ as you said.

When I say more dangerous content should be written, I think that’s true even for the younger lot (of actors). The entire gamut of writing needs to be changed. Because the younger ones get cast in a certain way, the older ones also get cast in a certain way. So yes, there is a lot more to explore.

Isn’t the OTT revolution helping in that direction?

For sure it is, the minute the OTT platforms came in, the scope of content magnified dramatically. But even after having said that, I wish there was more stereotype breaking work. Even more. Like the ‘cool mother’ has become a stereotype, to have her speak in a certain lingo the way we do at home, that is also now a stereotype. You can keep the framework, but explore it in a more truthful way, more direct.

What is your acting process?

The genuine answer is, in my knowing mind, I have absolutely no process! No prep, no process. I have always positioned and thought of myself as an extremely lazy actor. I am not lazy once I get on sets, I will reach on time, do my work with utmost sincerity and hard work. But the pre-prep, I am zero, I do nothing. I am sure some subconscious ruminating goes on; I am not cognizant of it. I am sure something happens, but that’s about it. I read the script and you do get an idea. If not, maybe you talk to the director, do a reading. But honestly, I do not like too much prep, ki aao chalo baat karte hai (let’s discuss the role).

 

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Was there a role that you feel you did go out of your way for?

Pagglait. Normally I would give my shot and the do my own thing, but with that role I realized I can’t do it. There is no set pattern, I organically realised my normal way of working will not work because the zone of truthful grief that I had to hit… It was the entire film, not some scenes. I had to hit each time I had to be in front of the camera, that I couldn’t be sitting and faffing with someone. It just wouldn’t have happened. So a little bit of staying with the character on set happened, not that I take it home with me, I am not that kind of an actor.

In the last two years, there has been a growing fandom of yours with the kind of work that just released consecutively. You are now a legit phenomenon. I am sure you are aware.

My manager is not aware, she needs to be told! But it feels great. We are not content creators; we can only do what is offered to us. So, I am fortunate these parts came to me, and they released in quick succession. That was wonderful also because these projects got visibility. Sometimes you might do a really good thing, but the project doesn’t get visible. But people did notice them. That truly feels great.