'I DON'T BELIEVE IN FAVOURITISM'

'If we are unable to move out of catering to people's tantrums or their unreasonable demands or people treating other people badly or being okay with differential treatment, it will affect the storytelling and the creativity.'

The best actors are the ones who make their versatility shine on screen.

Shahana Goswami is one such fine performer who puts on an impressive show each time with her varied choices.

Be it her emotionally worn-out wife in Rock On!! (2008), or distraught young Muslim woman in Firaaq (2009), or the jovial urban girl in Tu Hai Mera Sunday (2016), or the headstrong corporate boss in Bombay Begums (2021), or the other half of a financially struggling couple in Zwigato (2023) -- the actress can transform herself seamlessly.

In her latest outing Neeyat, Shahana plays into the film’s lighter and more comedic tone, which is in stark contrast to her intense roles.

In an industry that can easily typecast actors, Shahana’s constant endeavour is to find characters that she has not played before.

But the process has its own challenges, as the actress tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com, “Even today, large parts of casting choices are made out of who has more followers and who’s popular, and not who’s right for the part.”

What got you excited about Neeyat?

The fact that it’s a thriller, but its tonality has this subtle kind of humour.

It also has fascinating characters.

Lisa (her character name in the film) was very different from the roles I have played before.

I was excited to play something that normally, people wouldn’t think of me for, in terms of how overly glamorous she is or a slightly bimbo and a gold digger sort of person. It was fun to play such a character.