Actress Yaaneea Bharadwaj rose to fame with the multi-director web series ‘Made in Heaven’. Yaaneea plays the role of Sukhmani, a small town Punjabi girl hoping to live in the USA, marries a green card holder who is impotent.
She is lauded for her effortless portrayal of a character who is heavily influenced by Bollywood, not well educated and wears loud makeup.
Yaaneea stepped into the world of acting as a theatre artiste with actor Salim Arif. She also attended Neeraj Kabi’s workshops, which she says transformed her into the actor she is today.
In a conversation with Surupasree Sarmmah, Yaaneea throws light on her exposure to Bollywood and how ‘Made in Heaven’ changed her life.
How did you get into acting?
When I was a kid, world cinema was not a big thing in the north. So, naturally, I grew up watching Bollywood movies. Like every child, I had the desire to become like the heroines I watched on the big screen. However, it was after a few years that I realised that acting is much more than just being a heroine. Eventually, I started my acting career with theatre.
How has life changed after ‘Made in Heaven’?
People have appreciated my work. After the web series, I got to know that I can do bubbly roles too. With what people have said and what I have discovered about myself during my journey with ‘Made in Heaven’, I know that I have become a confident actor.
How was it working with the two most sought-after directors Zoya and Reema?
It was an experience. I got a chance to work with them for my very first project; it is a dream come true. In fact, the entire team was so down to earth and grounded. It felt good as I don’t have a movie background.
Do you think you have got a good start to your career with a web series, considering its popularity among the youth?
I am a huge fan of web series, and I also want to work in films. Having said that, my genre is very different. I like watching sci-fi and action thrillers. If given a choice, I would love to work on such web series.
I have to give a 100 per cent hard work to get one per cent result; I am not someone who gets lucky out of nowhere. I struggled for two years and then got ‘Made in Heaven’, so I don’t know how much more I have to struggle to get a film. It is not easy in Bollywood.
Your character in ‘Made in Heaven’ has been compared to that of Kareena Kapoor’s in ‘Jab We Met’. Any reaction?
‘Jab We Met’ released when I was in high school; I remember dancing to one of the songs from the film for the annual day. I have been a Kareena fan for as long as I can remember. I have not tried to act like her, but if people feel my character was anywhere similar to that of her’s, it feels good.
You also did a television commercial opposite Hrithik Roshan...
Yes, I got that role because of my nunchaku skills. The director was looking for someone who can do something different.
The tradition of weapon is not very common in India as people here are more into martial art forms and not weapons. Doing that commercial made me the first Indian actress to do nunchaku on-screen.
What kind of roles do you want to do in future?
I am looking forward to doing dark roles. I love edgy stuff and characters that are challenging. I also want to be a part of a one-take film like the German crime thriller, ‘Victoria’.
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