From Sankalp To Cocktail 2: Shailja Chaturvedi Talks Acting, Awareness, And New Beginnings- EXCLUSIVE

Actress Shailja Chaturvedi, who is currently being appreciated for her performance in Sankalp, is all set to be seen next in Cocktail 2. Having previously been seen in Dil Dosti Finance, Dreamcatcher, Fisaddi, Sita Ramam, and Madha, Shailja opens up about political awareness, the craft of performance, her transition from corporate life to acting, and embracing diverse roles through her journey.

Shailja got candid about her early life, transitioning from corporate to cinema in an exclusive conversation with Filmibeat Chief Copy Editor Abhishek Ranjit.

Talking about the role's connection to student politics, Shailja said, "I have always believed in being politically aware, and having studied at Banaras Hindu University, I had already seen how universities shape students' minds and ideologies. At one point, I too was drawn towards university politics and wanted to create change around certain biases I had witnessed. So in many ways, getting to live that world through this role felt like a full-circle moment."

Speaking about sharing screen space with seasoned actors, she shared, "Seasoned actors become great through years of practice and performance - 'करत-करत अभ्यास के जड़मति होत सुजान.' I believe in my potential, in the work I have done on my craft, and in the work I will continue to put in. That belief helps me hold my ground. Whether I stand out is for the audience, makers, and media to decide, but the fact that I stood there and didn't shake means a lot to me."

Opening up about her transition from a corporate career to acting, she said, "I was balancing a corporate job while practising theatre and pursuing acting in parallel, because I never really gave myself the option to stop chasing the actor within me. The job gave me the stability to pursue art, but eventually I realised I couldn't keep riding two boats forever. Once I took that leap, I knew I had to give acting my hundred percent."

Talking about moving from a politically rooted show like Sankalp to a film like Cocktail 2, she said, "I hate being put in boxes and categories, because as human beings, we go through so many phases and carry so many shades within us and so does an actor. I want to explore all kinds of roles and genres, and Cocktail 2 came to me at a very special time in my life. It happened in the same week that I left corporate, so it truly felt like a gift from the universe. Also, Maddock and Homi Adajania there are so many reasons I said yes."

Without revealing too much about her upcoming role in Cocktail 2, she added, "Both the characters demand a grounded presence, and I really connect with that. They come from two very different worlds, but both are emotionally intelligent, and in both, I play a true friend. They are different people, but somewhere the emotional core remains the same."