New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Actor Sonal Sehgal says she would call the current phase of her career as one full of adventures, where she is able to take up and work on creatively satisfying projects.
The actor’s career trajectory is way different from the time when she featured in Bollywood films such as “Ghajini”, “Radio”, “Aashayein” and “Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai”.
Apart from working as an actor, Sehgal said she is now able to explore her skills as a writer and producer with movies such as “Lihaaf” and upcoming “Manny”.
The 41-year-old actor said she is often asked about her Bollywood journey and why she stopped starring in Hindi films post John Abraham-led “Aashayein”.
“I did not get any work that I liked. I don’t want my life to be a rat race. I want it to be an adventure. I was just like, ‘how do you regroup yourself?’ And I was like, ‘okay, what is it that I want to do?’ “I want to be part of the whole business of movie making. That’s the only thing I love. Some people come to this industry and they already have an engineering degree or something else to fall back on. I don’t have anything,” Sehgal told PTI in an interview.
As opposed to the current scenario, when there are a lot of “meaty characters being written for women”, the situation was quite different when Sehgal made her Bollywood debut, the actor said.
“10-15 years years ago, the scene was totally different. Literally all the movies that I did, I always got those roles of pretty girls. Even as a leading lady, I had nothing to do except to support the male protagonist’s journey. All this was not creatively satisfying,” she added.
Post “Aashayein”, the actor enrolled in the New York Film Academy, which she said turned out to be the best decision of her life.
“The current phase of the career is not much in the spotlight but it has been creatively fulfilling. Right now, my life is very adventurous.” Her latest project as an actor is sci-fi thriller “Manny”, an Indo-Latvian production, which she has also written and produced. The movie is directed by Latvian filmmaker Dace Puce.
“In 2019, I wrote this film’s script and sent it to her. It’s a science fiction feature about Artificial Intelligence and it is relevant to everybody in the world,” Sehgal said.
Also featuring Jury Dyakonovs and Darta Danevica, “Manny” explores relationships of the protagonist with three love interests — man, woman and AI.
“The movie is an independent production. There is no studio backing us but as far as the story is concerned and the way it has been shot, it is very commercial.
“It’s about your dependence on devices. It’s a thriller and has a lot of twists and turns. It will keep you hooked,” she said.
“Manny” released in Taiwan in January before making debut in Latvia in May.
The film is currently available for streaming on TET+, a major platform in the Baltic region. It will soon become available on two other platforms — LMT and TV3.
Sehgal said she hopes to soon strike a deal with a platform in India for the film’s release in the country. PTI RB SHD
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