'If you do find it, don't let it go.'
'We often take relationships and people we love for granted.'
Aamna Sharif plays a complex character in her new Web series, Aadha Ishq.
The show presents a forbidden love story about a mother and daughter who fall in love with the same man.
Aamna admits she went through 'Aadha Ishq' in real life too, and tells Rediff.com Contributor Sameena Razzaq, "It's important to tell your partner that you have probably fallen out of love because you would only fall in love if you have fallen out of love in a relationship."
Aadha Ishq pits a mother against her daughter over affections for the same man. How did you keep yourself motivated to play this complex character?
No, it's not like mother is against her daughter.
For Roma, her daughter is everything.
She is the love of her life; she sacrifices a lot for her daughter.
She doesn't know that her daughter has fallen for the same man.
I did a lot of prep for this role because it's not a very conventional love story where you just go fall in love with a man and things didn't work out.
It has a lot of layering and emotions.
It's a journey of Roma in a span of 12 years, so I had to really get into the skin of the character.
I did a lot of workshops with the director and the entire team and my co-stars so we get familiar with each other.
You see, it's a love story and it's important that my chemistry be seen with my co-stars.
I play Kunaal (Roy Kapur)'s wife, which is, again, a very complex relationship.
I have never played a mother on screen, so Pratibha (Ranta) and I had to really work on our chemistry.
Did it drain you emotionally?
Yes, it did because it's a very complex character.
Aadha Ishq explores extramarital relationships. What is your opinion on forbidden love?
It depends upon how you fall in love with someone.
You do not have controls over your emotions.
At the same time, I feel in real life, if someone has to fall in love, it's important to tell your partner that you have probably fallen out of love because you would only fall in love if you have fallen out of love in a relationship.
So be honest to your partner first.
Did you have any Aadha Ishq experience in real life?
Yes, I did. We all go through it.
We lose out on the person we really love for some reason.
But I would like to convey that it's very difficult to find true love. If you do, don't let it go. Work towards it.
We often take relationships and people we love for granted.
We just give up.
It's the easiest thing to do, but I would say, don't give up. Work towards it.
Do you think television content lacks the creativity of OTT?
As an actor, I am enjoying the space of OTT because I am getting stronger subjects.
It's giving us scope to do strong characters, which was missing earlier.
Television did give women scope to perform and play strong characters, but films did not.
There are very few films, which are female-oriented. So OTT is a blessing.
It was reported that you went through a major physical transformation for this. Is that true?
Not for this, but I went through a very difficult situation.
I got COVID a month before the show. I could not work out.
I went through all of that, but the show is looking brilliant and fabulous.
For Damaged Season 3, you kept a prop gun at home to slide easily in your cop avatar. How did your husband react to it?
Sabko pata hai ghar par ke why I kept that gun.
My director told me to keep it. It really helped me because I never held a gun before. It made me comfortable.
Your husband Amit Kapoor and you give major couple goals to people. How do you keep the relationship happy and steady?
Friendship is the key.
People think mine was a love marriage, but actually, we were friends for three years.
One fine day, my best friend just proposed to me and I said yes.
So we never dated.
We just took the plunge.
I think being friends, being respectful, letting the other person be the way they are is very important in any relationship, be it marriage or friendship.
We are two different individuals, so difference of opinion does happen. We just have to figure why the other person is not on the same page and try to understand the situation patiently.
We see you in select projects. How easy or difficult it is for you to find good work?
It is very difficult because I had taken a conscious break after Ek Villain, which was a huge success.
People had loved me in that movie, but I decided to take a break for personal reasons.
I took a break for about four years and then decided to get back to work.
It wasn't easy.
It took me a lot of time to reach where I am today and do this kind of work.
A lot of people thought because she has taken a break, her career would be over despite being part of the industry for so long.
Believe me, it's not easy.
At the same time, faith, belief in myself and in my art is something that keeps me going.
Just work hard towards it and nothing is impossible.
Why do you think the tag of television actress is a hindrance if you want a movie career?
It is. I often ask the question. I have faced it.
I have gone through auditions and people from the team thought I fit the bill, but I have not got the project simply because I have done something in television in the past.
The thinking process needs to change.
People need to accept the actor as an actor and not look at where s/he comes from.
Like Parth Samthaanm, how many male co-stars have told you they had a crush on you?
Only Parth has told me that.
I think he was faking it. He is a very dear friend.
