Sony SAB’s Tenali Rama - Niya Sharma (Sharada) - Interview

Q: Tell us about how you began your acting career? Niya: I was born an actor. However, I never took the profession very seriously as I wanted to focus primarily on my career. After completing my studies, I realized that I need to pursue my dream of acting and I came to Mumbai. For the first 2 and half years, I worked as an accountant and then gradually started receiving offers for advertisements, which kick started my acting career. Q: How did Tenali Rama happen? Niya: Before Tenali Rama, I took a sabbatical and stayed at home, back in Faridabad. I came here recently and within a month, I was offered Tenali Rama as Sharada. The moment I heard ‘Tenali Rama’, I was convinced and gave the audition. I was the perfect fit for Sharada’s role and started shooting immediately after the first trial. Q: Talk about your character as Sharada on Tenali Rama. Niya: Talking about my character, Sharada, she is extremely energetic and vivacious. Sharada is very innocent, and at the same time, very bubbly. Sharada is everyone’s favorite, including Amma’s. The reason I enjoy portraying this character is because I am not at all like Sharada and am getting an opportunity to play such a role. This is indeed very exciting for me. Q: Did you do any special preparation to play this role? Niya: I am a very intense person, with a husky voice. For this character, I have to practice heavy voice modulation as Sharada’s character is loud and I am not. Before I Start the scene, I have to manipulate my voice according to the character and only then do I start my scene. Q: What was your reaction when asked to step in Priyamvada’s shoes as Sharada? Niya: The day I got the offer, I researched a lot about the Sony SAB show Tenali Rama and realized how big the show is, which made me truly enthusiastic about working in it. I had seen Priyamvada’s work as Sharada and noticed how naturally she performed this part and this boosted my spirits. I had to match up to that expected energy and aura. I just pulled up my socks and started working hard. Q: How is working on Tenali Rama different from the shows you’ve acted in previously? Niya: I have played several characters on television. However, Tenali Rama was a different ball game altogether. It’s a mix of the historical genre and comedy, which is difficult to execute and achieve. For this genre, I had to improvise my Hindi a lot, along with my body language. Often, it happens that I say a word and I am completely unaware of the meaning. Q: Who is your inspiration? Niya: I don’t consider anyone else as my inspiration, as my parents are my only role models. As a child, I have seen my parents go through many problems and they have handled it all so gracefully. They make me realize that no issue in life is bigger than your effort and that is what helps me overcome each and every hurdle of my life.