Shweta Basu Prasad, since young, has been surprising and amazing us with her performance. Her credentials and experience speak for itself. The year has been productive and elaborate for the National Award-winning actor. After, Oops! Ab Kya? the Hindi adaptation of Jane the Virgin, Criminal Justice: A Family Matter, she is set to appear in Maharani’s fourth season. As she plays Roshni in the SonyLIV series, also starring Huma Qureshi and Vipin Sharma, Prasad opens up to mid-day about her approach to work, the blurring lines between mediums, and her new ventures as a filmmaker and entrepreneur.
Excerpts from the interview.
How do you manage to ensure that you pick different roles?
I find it boring to do the same kind of roles, look the same way, and perform the same roles. I like challenges. I feel [that I am] blessed that I have the opportunity to reflect on life for audiences, and life is never similar. Every life is unique and I make it a point to read a lot, travel extensively, and meet people. The more I learn and meet different people, the more I realise that there are so many different kinds of people in this world and so many stories to tell. It is my responsibility to make [my roles] diverse and unique every time. Even if it’s two projects a year, I’m pretty content with that as long as it’s good work with good people and I’m telling good stories.
(L-R) Shweta Basu Prasad and Huma Qureshi
Does being a National Award winner or your life’s trajectory change the way people treat you?
No. Thank God. I don’t like being treated differently at all. When I’m on set, I’m a very simple person. [But I am] consumed and focused on my work. So, my phone is away, social media is deleted or uninstalled. I’m [either reading a book or sketching with pens and pencils. Maharani was a very friendly set and I made some lovely friends. But usually, I’m a very in-and-out actor. I keep to myself and I go to work and come back home.
What was the prep like for Maharani 4?
We had readings with all the actors, technicians, the director, and writers. But there’s something I do on my own — I write a backstory for my characters. Of course, the first three seasons worked as backstories in themselves, but I wrote Roshni’s journey from season one to season four — her late teens to early 20s. It’s got nothing to do with the actual story. I share it with the makers, sometimes they like it and even incorporate parts of it, and sometimes they correct me. It makes the process interactive and collaborative.
While it may not seem so, has Maharani posed any kind of challenge for you?
Every character is challenging for me. Just because I’ve been working as an actor for 20 years does not mean it’s a cakewalk, ever. I’m very nervous before any project starts. On the first day of shoot, I’m extremely nervous about how I’m going to pull it off. I’m always learning and unlearning. I’ve never been to theatre or film school, so I don’t have any formal training. I’m always learning on the job.
You’re an outsider who grew up in the industry. How has the industry treated you?
Yes, I’m an outsider who grew up in the industry, but they have been very kind and wonderful to me. When the time is right, people do receive good offers and good projects. I think my career has been an example of that.
The lines between Bollywood, South cinema, and OTT are blurring. Has that opened more avenues for you?
Not just for me, but for everybody. I think it’s more democratic when everybody just sits on the same plane. Earlier, there was no democracy when it came to big films. Like, I remember Iqbal [2005], which completed 20 years this year, was released alongside No Entry — a big commercial film with Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor. Iqbal had smaller posters and fewer show timings. But it saw massive word of mouth, ran for 60 days in theatres, and became tax-free. I saw that entire journey as a 14-year-old. I believe that the audience always has the power to choose what they want to watch — and they’ve always done that. Now with OTT, it’s even easier and more democratic. That’s why the blurring of lines is important. It’s not TV actors and OTT actors, and film actors and South and North Indian actors — it’s all mixed up and that’s how it should be. It’s art. [It should not be] based on region or language.
Up next
On the film work front, Shweta Basu Prasad just wrapped up her debut Malayalam film, set to release early next year. She has another movie and a series in 2026. The actor has also turned entrepreneur with a clothing brand last week. C-Sharp a line of clothing and accessories dedicated to music,
music lovers, and musicians.
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