Exclusive Interview With Shama Sikander: Opportunities For Actors As OTT Platforms Are Growing

Hot internet sensation Shama Sikander will be seen next in a multi-starrer film Bypass Road to be released on November 8. The actress has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram and her hot pictures are seen trending all over social media platforms and entertainment portals. Shama Sikander also featured in web series Maaya which became a talking trend over its bold nature of the content on an OTT platform. In an interview with MobyGeek correspondent Imran Fazal, Shama Sikander spoke in detail about her film, digitization of film industry and its benefits to the audience. Read the excerpts.

Talking about your film Bypass Road, how did this film happen to you? 

I was called by Naman and Neil Nitin Mukesh and I heard the script. They were very eager to cast me in the film. Also, the film completely revolves around me so it was a good idea to sign Bypass Road. I always do films which are based on me but this is the first time I have done a multi-starrer film. I am the central character in the film. The story revolves around my mysterious life and the film is very interesting.

We have seen that there is insecurity between two actresses related to screen time. Did you and Adah Sharma have those insecure moments?

I did read the script and I was very happy about the character I play. Adah is a very nice and sweet person. We never had any such moment during the shoot. If I find anything to object, I do it instantly. As artists, we have ample amount of attention when we do films.

You have done the web series Maaya which everyone found very bold. Will you feature in any other web series? 

Maaya was a very emotional story but everyone found it bold. I did not do anything an actress does not do. The story was bold and now my conscious effort is to find different characters and work in different genres. As an actress, I always believe in portraying different roles. It is for my fans to admire it and talk about it.

You are an internet sensation, with love also comes hate. How does Shama Sikander deal with trolls on the internet? 

Dealing with trolls is not that difficult. I just ignore them as if they did not exist. I spam them and block them. Dealing with such a handful of trolls is not a big deal for me.

In India, we have seen a sudden rise in digital content. What do you think about it? 

Digitization was bound to happen. Today even a kid has a mobile phone. Internet charges are next to negligible. Moreover, the film industry is benefiting from this new boom of OTT platforms. Quality content is being made available to the audience via such OTT platforms and it is good that new artists are getting the chance to showcase their talent. Its a win-win situation for the film industry.

One can say that television will soon die a slow death. Do you think the audience is more glued to digital content rather than watching films on big screens?  

I think both have their own takeaways. People still go to watch films in theatres; even if the film has poor content, the audience in India flocks to see their favorite actors. Meanwhile, digital platforms have quality content and have their own set of audience.

Do you think artists today have more scope in showing their talent via web series rather than films? 

Every actor has to give 100 percent effort in any form. It depends on the artist's choice of working on a project with a good subject. It doesn't matter if its a web series or a film. The name and fame will be given to an artist while working in a web series, television shows or films.