Want to explore more comedic roles now: Shraddha Dangar

Shraddha Dangar, who played one of the titular roles in Maharani, a film about our dependence on house helps, says, “I just had to do this film. Whether it was Rani (her character) or Mansi (played by Manasi Parekh), I would have done the film because it was a story that needed to be told.”The Hellaro actress adds, “Some people questioned my choice of playing a maid. But just like any other character -a doctor, businesswoman, or even a homemaker, playing a maid wasn’t a big deal either. They, too, are a very important part of our lives.” ‘I want to portray the kind of characters that Sridevi and Juhi Chawla did in the ’90s’ Shraddha, who played a comedic character in Maharani, says, “I wanted to do a comedy ever since I became an actor. I have enjoyed watching comedies like Priyadarshan’s films.

During this film, I realised comedy is one of the toughest genres. While playing a comedic character, just one miss makes the entire scene goes for a toss.” She adds, “I want to explore this genre more. Abhi toh ek hi film ki hai, so my comic timing is still raw. I would love to explore the kind of characters that Sridevi and Juhi Chawla did during the ’90s. I want to prove that even lead actresses can play funny characters.” ‘I am eager to explore a hardcore love story’ Shraddha has done several serious, message-driven films so far.

She says, “I think my film choices early in my career have resulted in me being offered such wonderful scripts now. Makers have seen me in serious characters, and they trust me with such roles. It’s not like I was being offered only such scripts, I was offered light-hearted films too. But it didn’t work out as the dates clashed with my other films. Now that I have tried comedy, I am eager to explore a hardcore love story, which I haven’t done yet.

” She adds, “I don’t think much about the genre or the length of my character. If I like the script in the first 10 minutes of the narration, I do it. I want to be a part of good stories.” ‘Can’t control same-day film releases’ Recently, two of her films- Maharani and Vishwaguru- were released on the same day. While it was a “happy feeling”, she adds, “Some things in the industry, like two big films releasing on the same day, can’t be controlled. As an actor, I feel that multiple film releases on the same day isn’t a good idea, as it divides the audience and screens.

But there isn’t much that we can do.” Talking about choosing the project right, Shraddha says, "While I trust my intuition, the audience reactions after watching my film instill confidence in me. And it is bigger than any other validation I need. Sometimes, I do wonder if my film choices are right but when people say that they look forward to my work, I know I am on the right track." She adds, "It thrills me to play characters that are different from what I am in real life.

I love the challenges that an actor must overcome while playing such roles, as you need to build the character from scratch."

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