People love my spunk, the energy I bring into my roles: Sanjeeda Sheikh

Sanjeeda Sheikh says the audience likes her for the energy she puts into her characters on screen.

Sanjeeda Sheikh made a mark on the small screen with shows like Ek Hasina Thi and Kyaa Hoga Nimmo Kaa. She didn’t do any TV serial for over a year. But, she is back on the tube with a show, in which she plays the role of mother to a six-year-old. Here, she talks about her comeback, and more.

Sanjeeda Sheikh considers herself one of the few actors who keep getting lead shows consistently.

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You are back on TV. How does it feel?

I am shooting for a daily soap after a year-and-a-half. So, the feeling of being back at work is new to me. I have been away for a while, but I consider myself one of the few actors who keep getting lead shows consistently. I am fortunate. I think taking a gap after a long-running show is a must.

Sanjeeda Sheikh feels the audience connects with her characters.

What do you think makes you so popular?

I feel the audience connects with my characters. Also, I guess they know me because of the reality shows that I have done.

You play strong characters on screen. Do you put in your feistiness into your characters or the parts that are offered to you are originally strong?

I have always played strong roles and even done a grey one. People love my spunk and the energy I bring into my roles. There is a bit of myself in all the characters I play. My last show, Ek Hasina Thi, also helped me a lot, as the audience loved my feisty character, Durga Thakur. I am glad that now I am playing a strong woman in my ongoing show.

Read: Playing a five-year-old’s mom is no big deal for Sanjeeda Sheikh

You play the role of a mother in that serial. Why do you think most actresses shy away from playing older roles on screen?

It’s a perception. There are so many young film actors, who play the roles of mothers in films, but no one raises an eyebrow then. But when an actress plays a mum on a TV show, she is looked at differently. It is the mindset that once you play a mum, you won’t get lead roles. Actors should be judged on how they look on screen, and not on the basis of the age of their characters. Yes, there was a phase when I was sceptical about playing a mother. But today, I am very confident of pulling it off. I don’t care about what people think.