Sonakshi Batra plays the role of Naaz in Udaariyaan. The show is being produced by Ravie Dubey and Sargun Mehta’s Dreamiyata Entertainments.
“Naaz’s character has two sides to her. One is the sweet & innocent girl, and the other is the one where she plays games and manipulates situations. I lean more towards the sweeter and innocent side, but I agreed to play this role as I found it challenging. The artist in me was excited to take this opportunity, which will help me grow and explore more,” she says.
Talking about working with Dreamiyata, Sonakshi adds, “I had to move my base from Mumbai to Chandigarh and they made the transition really smooth. Dreamiyata is a well-established production house, they know how to do things right and make an artist feel at ease even though one is away from home.”
The actor also shares her experience of shooting in Chandigarh. “The Punjabi in me feels like it has come home. The culture, the food, the flavour of Chandigarh has offered so much so far that it has left me feel warm and welcoming here. I do miss Mumbai but equally excited to be here. I have just joined and the experience of shooting with the team has been really good,” she says.
Udaariyaan has a very youthful flavour in the story. “I agree and that is why I was excited to be a part of the show. It is about wants, which can also be unwarranted at times. And, like I said earlier, that is also one of the flavours of the character I liked,” she adds.
Punjabi story telling is being loved by audiences all over India. “The storytelling is very rooted; hence it connects with the emotions of the people. That is what also drew me to take this character up in the show. Udaariyaan has been able to achieve and establish this connect and I hope I am able to do justice and take it forward,” says the actor, who practises singing, spends time with family, watches a web series or movie to unwind after a hard day at work.
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“I really look up to Priyanka Chopra [Jonas] not just as an actor but also for what she has been able to achieve in all walks of life. She has displayed her range by doing a lot of different kinds of roles and played them all really well, which is what I aim to achieve as an actor too,” she says.
Sonakshi have always been actively involved in dramatics. “I started with NSD & NSD-TIE workshops when I was young and later, I was really fortunate to have found Renaissance Theatre Society in Delhi. I did theatre for about 1.5 years under the guidance of Mohit Tripathi sir. I owe a lot to the institute and the people I encountered there. As a TV actor, one needs to be little prepared and also frequently spontaneous. So, I do manage to create a back story, read and research about the character, find similarities and dissimilarities between myself and the character which helps for the character to stand out. There are certain things you only realise when you are playing the part and that is where spontaneity kicks in. So, for this role as well, it was important for me to watch the earlier episodes of Udaariyaan in order to understand the characters and the family dynamics,” she adds.
If not an actor, Sonakshi would have been a vocalist. “I have always loved singing and it has been my mother’s dream to see me as a singer. I have learnt Hindustani classical for four years, because of her persistence,” she ends.
