Actor
Pooja Sharma, who is currently playing the role of Parvati and Maa Kali in the
show Mahakali: Anth Hi Aarambh Hai produced by Siddharth Kumar Tewary and Rahul
Kumar Tewary, has come a long way. The former Miss India finalist and TV host
acted in Pavitra Rishta. But it was her riveting role as Draupadi in the
mythological TV show Mahabharat which got her fame.
Talking
about how she came on board with Mahakaali, Pooja says, “Any substantial and
challenging lead role fascinates me, be it a saas-bahu saga, a mythological
show, a comedy or even a crime-thriller. I would say that this author-backed
role of Parvati and Mahakaali was preordained for me. Secondly, since it was
with the same production house again (Swastik Productions), it was in my
comfort zone. Siddharth Kumar Tewary
felt I fit the role and the feedback has been amazing.”
The
show is doing exceedingly well and Pooja says she couldn’t be happier with the
response. “My initial reaction was a mixed surreal feeling of numbness and
ecstasy. I just couldn’t believe it was me, when I saw myself in the show. When
a large number of people called up or messaged me to profusely compliment me, I
was emotionally overwhelmed. Initially, I was sceptical whether I should take
up this complex title role and wondered – why me? But it was producer Siddharth
Tewary, who with his awesome vision, instilled total confidence in me and felt
I was a perfect choice,” she says.
Of
course, getting into the costume every day is time consuming. “It would take
nearly four hours for the elaborate make-over and the body-paint process. Now
that everyone is much more proficient, it takes around two and a half hours,”
she says.
The
role is exactly what she was looking for, says Pooja. “Besides being
challenging the roles are also ‘creatively satisfying’ for me. It’s basically
the journey of how Parvati, who was a normal woman married to the revered Lord
Shankar, transforms into Goddess Mahakali. The contrasting attributes of each
character offer me a wide spectrum as an actor. While Parvati is super-soft and
gentle, as she symbolizes mother nature, Kaali Maa is fiery and aggressive.
Plus, there are action scenes – Kalaripayattu (martial arts of Kerala) and
sword-fighting scenes, for which I have been trained,” adds Pooja.
The
show also comes with a strong message. “It’s about woman empowerment. When I am
faced with adverse situations, I approach my husband Lord Shiva (Sourabh Raaj
Jain). He advises me that women should also learn to fight their own battles,
because every woman has this potent divine ‘maha-shakti’ within her. Off-screen, I identify with this ideology,
that no woman should tolerate injustice,” she says.
