Uttar Pradesh girl and actor Pragya Maheshwari recently debuted with her first feature film Sahan as protagonist. The film is streaming on a leading OTT platform for the US and the UK audience and is available for Indian viewers on rent. The actor from Orai feels blessed to be in the right direction and has already bagged another film that she will start shooting in Varanasi this month.
Currently at her home, the actor, on her recent visit to the state capital, said, “From a small town to international release, it feels great that I got to play a very strong role for which I am getting DMs (on social media) from women in India and abroad — that they can relate to it.”
In the film, she plays Nursat Sheikh, a victim of routine domestic violence who is still dedicated to her husband.
“We are showing a mirror to society that this problem very much exists in our culture and people either don’t talk about it or remain in denial mode most of the time. Another strange thing is that females don’t consider it as domestic violence and it becomes a new normal for them. My on-screen husband is an actor who is on a medical break after an accident, and his domestic violence tendency peaks.”
Pragya says it was something new for her as she had not seen anything like this in her family or among close ones.
“I have not seen it, but we are all aware about such cowardly acts! I studied such news items and case studies about women who live with it and how their psyche becomes such that they start living with it. We do hear about some rare cases, but such acts are happening and most of them go unopposed and unreported. The irony is that domestic violence often goes beyond physical and verbal torture – it can be psychological as well, and that’s the most dangerous stage!”
She is happy that the film gives the right message and viewers are connected with it. “Nursat understands the abuse, and she evolves and says enough! After all, it’s about dignity and respect. It’s very important to express and talk to people about your problems.”
She hopes it gets available for everyone in India with a release and can be viewed by our local audience.
Shoot in Varanasi
For her next film, she says, “We were supposed to shoot from May-end but due to this Nau Tapa (nine hottest days of summer) it has been pushed to June first week. I wish we could talk about it, but it has not been announced yet.”
Acting journey
Talking about her journey, she says, “I completed my studies in mass media from Delhi and got associated with theatre. I was lucky to get into Pankaj Kapur sir’s theatre group, which has been my biggest training ground with plays like Dopehri and Seher. I have done short films. Then I got my breakthrough role in Sahan and also my first cinematic song, Le Chal Kahin.”
On a signing off note, she says, “I am content with the journey so far, and from this film’s release I got an energy booster that I am in the right direction. Today, it’s very important to do a project and then see it get released. It is very painful when work does not release or gets shelved. People think shooting is everything – which in a way is partially true – but the game is the period before and after the shoot when you are preparing yourself and training for the role.”
