Anush Sharma thanks her gut feeling for wins

One of the youngest producers in Bollywood, she broke gender stereotypes without planning it

She has achieved a lot in her nine-year career — be it working with Bollywood’s top male leads or launching her own production house — and actor Anushka Sharma (right) says that it has all happened because her decisions are not influenced by what others think.

The 35-year-old star says that she has always “followed her instincts” and done what she felt was right for her. “When you don’t come from the [film] industry, the negative is that you get lost and you take time to get used to it, but the positive is that you have no pre-conceived notions and you can go anywhere,” Anushka says.

“I decided to be a producer at the age of 25, and everyone thought I was crazy. They thought when my acting career was going well, why was I getting into production, because usually, actors become producers when they don’t have anything to do. This [idea], I felt was bizarre and stupid,” she adds.

Anushka rather believes in taking her own decisions. “I don’t do things to break stereotypes; I just follow what my heart says. I don’t get scared easily. If I want to do something and I feel it’s correct, I will do it. I don’t think of what others will say or think about my decision,” she states.

Anushka is now all set for the release of her second production, Phillauri, also starring Diljit Dosanjh and Suraj Sharma. Though she has tasted immense success in Bollywood, she says that “the only time I felt good was when I bought my house”.

The actor recalls, “I felt very accomplished. Of course, people notice you and all of that, but I felt very awkward about it, when that happened. I didn’t know how to react when people started recognising me. I was like, ‘What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to behave?’ If you always wanted to be an actor, you visualise people coming to you and taking autographs. But when you didn’t want to be an actor, you worry [about how to handle fame].”