Sahher Bambba’s Bollywood debut Pal Pal Ke Dil Ke Paas didn’t fare well at the box office. However, that didn’t deter the newbie. She took it as a learning experience and did two OTT shows, The Empire and Dil Bekaraar. Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive conversation. Excerpts:
How was your reaction when your big screen debut Pal Pal Ke Dil Ke Paas didn’t work?
It was heartbreaking because I was clueless post the failure. Coming from a non-filmy background, I wasn’t sure if I would get my second project, but I was very happy with the reviews I got. I consciously told myself to be positive since whoever I met had lovely things to say about me, and that was my biggest takeaway from the film. I feel Pal Pal Ke Dil Ke Paas gave me a platform to enter Bollywood, so it’s special. I also learned one thing that if a film doesn’t do well on a Friday, no matter how good you are in it, it goes unnoticed.
Are you a strategic actor or go with the flow in choosing projects?
I completely believe and go with my instincts. Even after Pal Pal Ke Dil Ke Paas, many people told me not to do a web show, but I did The Empire, followed by Dil Bekaraar. Luckily, both the shows did so well. I also did a couple of music videos in between all of this.
Your role in The Empire has staged you as a performer. Was it challenging for you?
It was way out of my comfort zone since it was a period drama mounted on such a massive scale. It was definitely challenging to perform with Shabana ma’am (Azmi) and to be directed by Nikkhil Advani. I was the last actor to come on board, and then Covid-19 happened, so I got a lot of time to prepare for my character, research and work on my Urdu diction.
Considering Dil Bekaraar is based in the ’90s, how was it playing a newsreader from that era?
Habib sir (Faisal) loves to do a lot of preparations, but at the same time, he just lets you be as an actor. I remember he said that back then, newsreaders used to speak in a certain way. He showed me several videos as a reference point. He used to make us do many workshops. Keeping the news reading aside, Habib sir is a real taskmaster.
A still from The Empire | Pic: Instagram/sahherbambba
Do you believe that your career is uplifted since both the web shows did well?
When I started my web innings, the pandemic wasn’t there that time, but people take me more seriously now. Casting directors and filmmakers do reach out to me now, and that’s amazing. It’s a great validation for me.
What kind of roles are you looking forward to now?
With the pandemic, audiences have evolved so much since OTT has changed things drastically. I want to pick up roles that are really exciting, challenge me as an actor and those that people perhaps haven’t seen before.
