‘My 10-yr wait ends with Guilty Minds’

Namrata’s break in the web series was a long time coming, but the actress is hoping it will be the start of a bright future

Ten years ago, 16-year-old Namrata Sheth was sitting in her college canteen when she got a call to participate in a ‘Fresh Face’ contest. She refused initially, but when the caller persisted, she decided to give it a shot after consulting her parents. Ten years later, she cleared her first audition and was selected for the role of Shubhangi Khanna in the web series Guilty Minds on Amazon Prime Video.

“Yes, it has been a long while,” acknowledges Namrata.

“I won the Fresh Face contest on an All-India level and the sponsors auditioned me and took me on to model for their cosmetic brand. I started modelling along with my studies,” says the young woman, who comes from a family of doctors and engineers.

“My dad is a businessman and has done his engineering and has so many other degrees. My family wanted me to graduate, and then do what I wanted to. So, I enrolled for acting classes as well. And eventually it became clear that this was what I wanted to do. It was never planned. I just went with it and took each opportunity that came. And then I went to the Lee Strasberg Institute to study cinema and acting,” she says.

The call to work in Guilty Minds came a few months ago.

“Varun Mitra, who plays Deepak in the show, was speaking to the director Shefali Bhushan, who told him that they had not found someone for my character though they were only ten days away from the shoot. He suggested my name and they called me to audition for two scenes. I did that and then I was asked to meet Shefali. I was sure that I would not get selected because that is how it has been. So, when I got a call from Naved telling me that he would like to lock me for the role, a ten-year wait ended,” she says.

Namrata reveals that she had no qualms about picking up the role, even though it was not the lead. “I knew I was not headlining it. And that is why I am so grateful to everyone, as, to get this kind of love on my first-ever acting job is so overwhelming,” says the actress, who excelled as lawyer Shubhangi Khanna.

“I genuinely didn’t expect this kind of response, but then, the show was made with a lot of love and we have done a very honest job. The credit should go to Shefali, as I only executed what she wanted me to do,” she confides, adding, “The system seriously wears you down. It took me so much time to lock something. And that is also why I am very grateful, because I would not have been able to appreciate the opportunity otherwise.”

Playing a lawyer was not easy, but Namrata had a lot of help. “My aunt is a lawyer, and Varun and I both went to the Mumbai High Court and spent a day there. We spoke to different lawyers and sat in a few courtrooms and watched the cases and that helped me, as I had never been to a courtroom before,” she says.

Going back to her motivations, Namrata says. “I was a happy kid and I wanted to do everything. I would also playact when I watched

a Disney movie or something. In hindsight I realise perhaps that is what I want to do. I was a huge fan of Rani Mukerji but I never thought of it as a profession. But when I made my family watch my acting, I guess it was coming,” she shares. “There was a lot of patience and staying positive and hoping that this moment would come — and here it is! Now I am dying to get into the movies. I hope the Universe conspires to get me there because I want to see myself on the big screen. I

took the OTT route because times have changed and it was a great opportunity and I am glad I took this,” says Namrata.

THERE WAS A LOT OF PATIENCE AND STAYING POSITIVE, HOPING THAT THIS MOMENT WOULD COME — AND HERE IT IS! NOW I AM DYING TO GET INTO MOVIES. HOPE THE UNIVERSE CONSPIRES TO GET ME THERE BECAUSE I WANT TO SEE MYSELF ON THE BIG SCREEN