Was more about a wishlist: Tamannaah Bhatia on 'Sikandar ka Muqaddar' role

New Delhi: As an actor who started her journey at the age of 15, Tamannaah Bhatia says she has a lot of respect for artistes working in cinema for a long time as the battle is not just to stay relevant but also memorable.

Bhatia is in awe of actor Jimmy Shergill, her co-star in the upcoming Netflix film Sikandar ka Muqaddar, for his impressive career spanning almost thirty years.

"As an actor, I understand what it takes to have an extremely long career and that requires a very different kind of skill set. It's not about just being relevant. It's about being memorable.

"I've been working since I was 15 years old... Every step you're taking, you're trying to create something impactful. So I appreciate actors who've survived for a long time. It takes a lot of work and evolution," the 34-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.

Bhatia started her career in 2005 with an appearance in the song Lafzo Mein by maiden Indian Idol winner Abhijeet Sawant, before making her debut as an actor with Hindi film Chand Sa Roshan Chehra.

She then pivoted towards South cinema, where she worked in successful Tamil and Telugu films such as Happy Days, Kalloori, Padikkadavan, Paiyaa, Veeram and Baahubali movies.

The actor has also appeared in Hindi movies like Himmatwala, Entertainment, Babli Bouncer, Plan A Plan B and Lust Stories 2.

When it comes to picking up projects, Bhatia said her process is always "instinctive" but she didn't have to use that skill for Sikandar ka Muqaddar.

Also starring Avinash Tiwary, the heist thriller is directed by filmmaker Neeraj Pandey of Baby and Special 26 fame.

"Whenever I hear a script or meet somebody, it's just that energy you feel like, is it working or not? But I feel with this one, I didn't need to use my instincts because it was more about a wish list. I really wanted to work with Neeraj sir.

"And I was so happy to hear that there was Avinash and Jimmy sir because if I have to go in my head and cast it again, I don't think I could imagine anybody but the two of them."

Sikandar ka Muqaddar, which is set to start streaming on Netflix from Friday, presents the tale of an unsolved heist and follows a hard-nosed cop (Sheirgill) whose pursuit of a key suspect (Tiwary) turns into obsession, until they finally face each other and the truth.

"What I think I loved is that we have very clear-cut characters to play and I was just happy to collaborate with both of them (Tiwary and Sheirgill) because you are feeding off of each other when it comes to performances," said Bhatia, who plays the role of Kamini Singh in the movie.

When she met Sheirgill for the first time, the actor said she felt a bit "intimidated" by him.

"The first scene we shot, I didn't know how to approach him. And then I realised he was just in character for a while. I spoke to him on the second day. The first day I just pretended. I was like, 'Okay, maybe he's just like a really angry person. So I won't talk to him'." Bhatia said she also got the opportunity to present a "new side" herself in the movie.

"For me, it's a very fresh outing from whatever work I've done. I'm pretty much not wearing anything on my face in the film. And I feel like I've never gone this bare for a role because I felt on the digital medium, I want people to see people's faces. I want them to be able to see the character. I don't want them to feel like it has any baggage of vanity." Pandey, also known for creating series such as Special OPS and Khakee: The Bihar Chapter, is a powerhouse director, according to Bhatia.

"He's clear about things and he does things very meticulously, expects everybody also to be on that page. And that's something I really enjoyed because I like that little fire. When you're on his set, you're on your toes." Bhatia, who made a splash with her cameo appearance in Stree 2, particularly with the song Aaj Ki Raat, is currently at a point in her career where she does not look at opportunities as "big or small".

"It's that time, I think, for actors in general to just bring your A-game to everything you do because you don't know what's going to work. There's no way to judge that.

"It could be something that you think is very small but it's just the authenticity that sometimes speaks. It's what you do that makes it big or small. I follow that approach very strongly," she said.

Produced by Shital Bhatia through Friday Storytellers, Sikandar Ka Muqaddar also features Rajeev Mehta, Divya Dutta and Zoya Afroz.