I always wanted to get into regional language films or shows: Sana Amin Sheikh

Sana Sheikh has appeared in numerous films, television and web shows over the years. Evolving from smaller roles to leading ones, she has grown significantly as an actor and is now eager to explore new opportunities. This led to her debut in the Gujarati show United State of Gujarat. “Although I’m not Gujarati, I do have Gujarati roots. My great-grandfather, Master Ashraf Khan, was a prominent figure in Gujarati theatre. I imagine he must have found his way into Gujarati theatre much like I did with this show. My grandfather also wrote and performed Gujarati ghazals around the world, but no one continued that legacy. I've always wanted to work in a regional language. I even auditioned for Marathi films, so when this show came up, I thought of giving it a try.”

The actress on how she is polishing her Gujarati language says, "I had a tutor before we started shooting and during the initial days because when you need to learn a particular language, it’s very important to converse in it. So, even if it was broken Gujarati at first, I did make an effort to speak it. Now, my Gujarati is much better than when I started. Once I’m more fluent in Gujarati, I’ll feel more confident about doing movies. I believe that within a couple of months, I’ll be well-versed in the language."

'Love being the central character'
As someone who has worked in television for several years, does the length of a character's role matter to her? “I love being the central character and the face of a show, but there have been instances where I wasn’t the lead, yet I still got to play really good parts, whether it was in Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi, Mann Kee Awaaz Pratigya, or Naamkarann. To this day, people recognise me as Ganga from Pratigya, even though it wasn’t a lead role. Nowadays, you can watch a web show and see just one shot of an actor and think, ‘Oh, this one is good.’ And that impression is so strong that you can’t take your eyes off a character, even if they’re only on screen for a few seconds.”

'You have to come prepared when working in television shows'
Sana, who played Nafisa, Telgi’s wife in the OTT show Scam 2003, says she mentally prepares herself before taking on any project, whether long-term or short. “You have to come prepared when working in television shows, and after doing this for years, I now fully understand what it takes. Anyone joining television should be aware of this and come prepared—there’s no room for complaining.”
Do you enjoy investing in a long-term project like those TV offers? “I’m a workaholic. Every time I finish a project, I plan to go to the mountains, sit alone, and sip my tea, but that has never happened. Before I can buy a ticket and head to the hills or mountains, I end up taking on another project. I always end up sipping tea at home.”

'I never differentiated between the mediums'
Does she find it challenging to return to Hindi TV after working on a regional show? “Not at all. I believe that in today’s times, it’s no longer about, ‘If you’ve done OTT, you can’t go back to TV,’ or ‘If you’ve done TV, you can’t transition to movies.’ For me, it’s been about variety. I started as a radio jockey, then simultaneously did TV, and with TV, I featured in movies like Table No. 21 and Singham. Although my roles were small, I never differentiated between the mediums. It’s more about being a professional and taking on projects back-to-back rather than focusing on the medium.”
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