My career choices have involved zero calculations,” says Adah Sharma, who was in Ahmedabad recently. Decked up for an event and carrying her stuffed cat toy, Radha, the actress was every bit her quirky self during a candid chat with us. Adah talks about following her instincts, breaking stereotypes, working with Manoj Bajpayee, and more. ‘I make brash decisions with zero calculations’ Adah’s career trajectory has been varied and distinctive. Has it been a conscious choice? The 1920 actress shares, “I wish I had a secret, 25-year career strategy inscribed on a Himalayan cave wall by enlightened monks. I simply make brash decisions with zero calculations. It is like riding a roller coaster blindfolded without a seatbelt, though I am usually wearing my anti-gravity belt (laughs). I have been very fortunate to encounter both good and not-so-good people along the way and learnt a lot from both”.She adds, “What excites me most is a brilliant script. The best stories don’t wake up every morning trying to become a pan-India phenomenon—they simply strive to be great films. If a director, regardless of the industry, is focused on crafting an exceptional piece of cinema rather than obsessing over how a particular scene might boost box-office collections, I’m instantly excited to collaborate. After all, the box office is something no one can truly predict. I’m a greedy actor, and my career bucket list is endlessly ambitious. Every time I tick off one role, I add three more. In my next project, I’m actually playing a mosquito.”‘Vipul sir thinks I’m mad, but continues to work with me’After Commando 2, Commando 3, The Kerala Story, and Bastar: The Naxal Story, Adah collaborated with Vipul Amrutlal Shah for the fifth time with Governor. She shares, “I think Vipul sir has finally accepted that I make all my life and film choices purely on instinct. He thinks I am mad but continues to work with me. I am grateful that he trusted me with The Kerala Story and Bastar. He loves collaborating repeatedly with actors as well as crew members.”‘I never think whether a role fits the conventional heroine template’Asked about female actors still being stereotyped, Adah shares, “Stereotypes will always exist—not just for female actors but for everyone. I have never looked at a script and wondered if a role fits the conventional “heroine” template. My only criterion is whether the character is fascinating enough to spend months of my life inhabiting her. I have always been captivated by the idea of shattering expectations, and, frankly, I have spent my career confusing audiences. After a horror film, they assume you can only scream; after an action film, they think you can only punch; and after a serious drama, they take for granted that you cannot be funny. Navigating that complete unpredictability is where the real joy lies.”‘My job is to surprise the audience’Adah has been away from typical commercial films for a while. Asked about it, she smiles, “When I debuted with 1920, I never thought the audience’s first glimpse of me would be with black, rotting teeth and me eating a cat. I didn’t have the luxury of a carefully curated, conventional commercial debut. In hindsight, I think that’s the best part. I debuted with the role of a lifetime and could show off my acting prowess. So, I think I’m very lucky to be part of history. High-stakes narratives attract me. I also seek roles that are indispensable to the story—where removing my character would leave the narrative incomplete.”Asked about the audience’s expectations, she adds, “When audiences have high expectations, it means they are actively engaging with my work. Their job is to expect, while mine is to surprise, entertain, and make them feel raw. I welcome the nerves that come with a challenging role because they remind me how deeply I care about my craft. The day I stop feeling that emotion is the day I’ll truly have something to worry about. I was very nervous while portraying Rosie Mehta in Sunflower because she was very different from who I am.”‘I enjoy being a student on every set’The actress, who has worked across industries, feels every film set has the same atmosphere. She says, “Everywhere, there are actors forgetting lines, assistant directors looking stressed, producers checking budgets, and someone asking, ‘Lunch kab hai?’ But emotions are universal. Happiness, fear, love, heartbreak–they work in every language. The challenge is understanding the local culture, the humour, and body language, and making sure I’m pronouncing words correctly. I enjoy being a student on every set. I observe people without them knowing, pick up their language, steal their mannerisms, and learn how every industry tells its stories.”‘People of the city set Ahmedabad apart’Adah, who is a frequent visitor to Ahmedabad, says, “The people set the city apart. On this visit, I interacted with several people, including a wonderful group of children. It was fascinating to hear their perspectives. A group of five-year-old girls insisted I should stick to fun, thrilling projects like the TV series Reeta Sanyal. There was another group that felt I should focus exclusively on serious, impactful dramas like The Kerala Story. The latter group even recounted scenes from the film that had moved them to tears and haunted them with nightmares. It felt so special.”The actress, who was recently seen in Governor, shares, “In the film, I played a rookie journalist who, despite not being in a position to take on the RBI governor directly, proves that even a reporter with very little power can create a massive impact. The energy on the set was incredible, and working with Manoj Bajpayee sir was an amazing experience. His complete dedication to staying in character—both physically and mentally—is inspiring.”
