ALWAYS CHASED UNIQUE IDEAS, SAYS ANUSHKA
The actor says that as a producer, she values a story more than its treatment
As a producer, Anushka Sharma is not afraid to push the envelope and back edgy stories with darker narratives, something which began right from her debut production, NH10 (2015). So it came as no surprise when she chose a neo-noir subject, dealing with the underbelly of crime and politics as her production debut on the web. “I’ve always been drawn to different kinds of things that happen around us in the world and wanted to present that through a story,” the actor tells us, adding, “(My brother) Karnesh and I always believe that content is everything. The most exciting part as a producer and as a creative person is to do films and series like Paatal Lok, which is different, clutterbreaking and progressive.” Sharma emphasises that when it comes to backing a project, the storyline has been more important than the overall treatment. “So, we did a film like NH10 which was fierce, we also did Phillauri (2017) that is about a friendly ghost. I feel different, bold and outof-the-box content has always been our interest,” she says. Revealing how she decides which project to be associated with, the 32year-old says the one common thread between everything she has produced so far is that the ideas have been “new and fresh”. She adds, “We’ve always chased unique ideas, that has been something we believed in whenever we took up a story.”
Regarding her involvement with a project as the producer, Sharma reveals she remains involved right from the ideation stage till the final product. “Sometimes, I’m physically unavailable as I’m doing so many other things at the same time. I’m involved nevertheless from the beginning to the end.”
The actor has been in lockdown with her parents and husband, cricketer Virat Kohli in Mumbai. She calls the experience “enlightening” and admits it has made her more aware of the world around.
“The current situation in the world is quite grim and unfortunate, it can make you feel helpless. But, the only thing, you realise that you can do during these times, is reach out to people as much as you can and ease someone’s load,” says the actor, who is making the most of this lockdown “focusing on family time and catching up on shows and films, taking care of my health and baking a bit to occupy my mind”.