I’ve done saas-bahu soaps earlier, but I can’t do the same thing anymore: Sanjeeda Shaikh

Last seen in Love Ka Hai Intezaar in 2017, actress Sanjeeda Shaikh seems to be waiting for bigger things to happen to her. Sanjeeda who’s made guest appearances in Naagin 3 and Roop – Mard Ka Naya Swaroop in 2018, is not keen to do television shows until she gets “something exciting and creatively stimulating.” In town recently to promote a Hindi single Ruka Hoon, in which she features alongside Jigar Saraiya, the Amdavadi opened up about staying away from the small screen, why “regressive content” continues to garner TRPs and more. Excerpts from a chat:

As you have spent most of your childhood in Ahmedabad, does Navratri evoke any special memories?

Anyone who’s spent his/her formative years in Ahmedabad will always have a soft corner for Navratri celebrations. You know, when I used to live in Ahmedabad, there was no time limit for garba. So, I used to dance through the night and come back home at 6 am. It was a lot of fun. I used to take hours to get ready every night and half the fun of enjoying Navratri was all about getting ready to go to the venue. Now we have garba venues that don’t allow performances beyond 11 pm. While I understand that it is good to maintain law and order during festivals, the fun of dancing through the night was something else!

After being part of some successful fiction and reality shows in the past, you have stayed away from TV shows for a while now, except a few cameos in shows. Is it a conscious decision to stay away from the small screen?

I have been a part of the television industry for over eight years now and I want to do something different and creatively stimulating. I can’t do the same old saas-bahu sagas, nor can I relate to the naagin-daayan shows. I know there is an audience for those kind of shows as well, but after a while these shows tend to get too predictable. I can’t continue doing what I was doing. In an age of platform agnostic entertainment, I want to push my creative boundaries.

mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normalAt a time when Hindi television shows are casting rank newcomers as leading female protagonist, can you really afford to be so selective about the kind of work that you want to do?mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normalI feel content as an actor and I don’t feel insecure or desperate to accept offers that I don’t feel excited about. I have done quality work in the past and I have worked really hard to be in this position in my career where I can choose what I want to do than doing shows that I can’t connect with. The Hindi TV industry works in the most unpredictable manner. Most Hindi fiction shows begin with a bang, but lose steam within a couple of months. Actors get replaced and storylines change without any logic, I can’t be part of such shows. I am averse to this process and I myself have been part of similar shows. Initially it was exciting to do a typical Hindi soap with all the stereotypes, but now I can’t do such stuff.mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normalA lot of people say that the content on Hindi television is regressive. But similar shows are still being made because there’s a sizeable chunk of the audience is watching them.mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normalThere is a definite audience for saas-bahu and naagin shows. The younger audience might be more inclined towards watching web series and other international shows but the number of people still watching these TV shows with utmost loyalty is huge especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. That’s where the TRPs are coming from. And such shows are being made because the makers know their audience. The moment viewership changes, the content on television will change too.mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normalIn the last few years, many television stars have moved to the big screen. Do you have any such plans?mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto; line-height:normal

Bollywood

is the ultimate destination for all actors. Earlier, television actors were not taken seriously in Bollywood. When I used to audition for Hindi films earlier, I was told on numerous occasions that since I am seen on TV every single day, there is no novelty factor about me. I had almost given up on Bollywood. But things have changed thanks to all those TV actors who have charted a successful journey in films. They’ve broken the misconception that TV actors can’t be Bollywood stars. So there is hope for us!