Trying to get into Anarkali mode, says Sonarika

Mythological show Mahadev, period drama Prithvi-Vallabh and now historical fiction Salim-An ark ali, actor Sonarika Bhadoria seems to have mastered over playing larger than life shows.

This, when she avoided signing up historical mythological shows after playing Goddess Paarvati and took a hiatus from TV for five years.

However, finally she went on to do back-to-back two historical shows.

“After Mahadev, where I played Parvati, I knew offers to play goddess will pour in. So I took a deliberate break from TV and did four South Indian films and a Bollywood film (Saansein with Rajneish Duggal) as well. And, when I was about to do my second film things didn’t work out and that’s when Prithvi Vallabh happened,” says the actor on her visit to Lucknow.

“My comeback on TV was after five years and I was playing a warrior princess where I was fighting and doing my own stunts. For me, it was like a dream role and the feminist in me came out as you don’t get to play such characters every day. The content didn’t go well with the audience but we gave our best,” she says.

From a warrior princess to a passionate dancer-lover in her new show Dastaan-EMohabbat: Salim Anarkali, there is a 360 degree shift in her character.

“Prithvi-Vallabh came on air for a short time but we shot for more than a year. So, apne andar ki ladaka nikalne mein thoda sa time laga (take the fighter out of me). After the fight sequences, my movements and reflexes had also changed and to perform kathak with ‘ada’ was tough. There was a natural aggression in my dance moves while my kathak guru (Pallavi Shom) wants soft moves. Gradually, I am coming out of it but I miss being part of it,” she says. Sonarika is a now learning the nuances of kathak for the Star Plus show. “I am a good dancer but have not learnt kathak earlier. Since Anarkali is a rakkasa (danseuse) so her dance has to be perfect. My guru says that I am a good learner but I personally found kathak to be little difficult. When I saw her performing it was so effortless and graceful. But when I started to learn the basics, my coordination used to be very off,” she says. “There is a long way to go. Since, the show has just started with kids and we are yet to start our shoot I have enough time to learn as Anarkali can’t go wrong with dance,” says the actor whose mother belongs to Lucknow.

“My relatives still have relatives in Lakshman Puri and Aliganj areas,” she says.

“Mamma Urdu se bahut acchi tarah wakif hain (well versed with Urdu) as many of her best friends were Muslim and she has lived here. She helps me in brushing up my skills and makes me learn new words that I have not even heard of. Also, I am taking help of my co-actor Shaheer Sheikh who is very good with Urdu,” says the actor who has spent a lot of summer vacations in Lucknow.

DHEERAJ DHAWAN/HT Sonarika Bhadoria in Lucknow