Melbourne girl who now calls Mumbai home

This young lady of many talents is slowly creating a niche for herself in the world of showbiz

BY RAJNI ANAND LUTHRA

She’s done the hard yards in Mumbai’s film industry, and all the toil seems to be paying off.

Melbourne girl Pallavi Sharda, who is currently working on her third Hindi film Love, Break-Ups, Zindagi with Zayed Khan, is quite pleased with her new career.

“I’m no longer in the ‘have-to-break-in’ mode,” the articulate and self-assured Pallavi states cheerfully. “I’ve laid my foundations, and found the kind of people I want to work with”.

When she won the Miss India-Australia contest last year, Pallavi was already two films old. Her debut came with none other than Karan Johar, when the star director offered her a cameo in the SRK-starer My Name is Khan.

Even before the film was released, Pallavi had landed the lead role in the art-house film Dus Tola, starring the industry’s ‘thinking’ actor Manoj Bajpai. She won rave reviews for her portrayal of a silent but strong and independent village woman.

In her new film, she is taking the strong and independent woman out of the rural scene and putting her in the cut-throat corporate world of Mumbai.

“I play a no-nonsense, career-oriented girl in this film which also stars Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan. It is directed by Sahil Sangha”.

Is it true that Sangha spotted her as she auditioned for another role, and was immediately struck by her poised, headfirmly-on-her-shoulders kind of look?

Pallavi laughs, “That could be right – after all, I’ve worked in a Melbourne law firm! And I’ve been brought up as a modern woman…”

A multi-faceted personality, Pallavi is putting to full use her combined degrees in law and media and communications. She is equally at home at a panel discussion on leadership strategies for the next era of Asia’s growth, as she is facing the camera with Shah Rukh Khan beside her. Alongside her film career in Mumbai, Pallavi also works as a consultant with Tata in the area of corporate communications, a role which took her to Africa recently, to conduct workshops.

Yet an amalgam of both careers is her ultimate aim. “Having always had a social justice focus, my vision is to use my artistic talent for human interest over anything else”,

Pallavi reveals.

Her short-term goal – to make it in Bollywood – is now near fruition. The new film releases in August this year and Pallavi is already reading more scripts.

“I think I’ve made inroads into the right kind of production houses in Mumbai,” Pallavi reflects. “I’ve steered clear of the ‘old school’ philosophy, and am happy to say all my relationships are with the fresh breed of professionals that Bollywood is becoming known for”.

Last year also saw the release of her short independent film Walkway, which was made in the U.S. Before that, she was in the theatre production 1 888 Dial India, a play about call-centres and the ‘new Indian dream’ which toured the country. In between, she has featured in many print and TV commercials, and innumerable dance shows.

A keen dancer who has trained in the Bharatanatyam style but experiments with fusion, Pallavi is a bit disappointed that Love, Break-Ups, Zindagi has no songs and dances, but she lets slip, “There are a few surprises, I can tell you!”

“It’s been a lot of hard work,” Pallavi reflects. “I landed in Mumbai less than three years ago, with no contacts whatsoever, and began doing the rounds of production houses and agents… and now, I have created a home and a life for myself. Lots of girls come to Mumbai with the exact same dreams, and don’t get half the exposure I have. I’ve done major roles already, so overall, I can’t complain, really”.

Now all Pallavi is waiting for is for the audiences to appreciate her work.

Meanwhile, she’s also writing a film script, working with Melbourne comedian Ben Price. “It’s a story set in Indian and Australian cultures,” is all she will reveal for now.