Interview by Neil Tran Photography by Howard Ong
Actor and human-rights activist Sheena Chohan has an insider’s view on the sweeping changes behind the world of cinema. The only Indian actor to receive the Human Rights Hero Award at the 2019 International Human Rights Summit at United Nations in New York, Sheena has used her position of power in the glamour world to raise awareness among the Indian youth about the Constitution and the UN Declaration of Human Rights.
Artist of the Month
FROM THEATER TO THE BEST ACTOR NOMINATION Tell us something about you and how did you start your journey? I am an actress and a human rights ambassador, a Punjabi by birth, I grew up in Kolkatta and moved to Mumbai where I now live. I started my journey as an actress before I was one years old by acting on stage - I played a baby and from all reviews I was quite natural at it (LOL). Jokes aside, as a teen I enjoyed all forms of arts, even martial arts (I'm a brown belt in karate) and before I graduated from school I'd won beauty pageant titles, was a successful model and left home for 5 years of theatre in Delhi where I performed with Arvind Gaur's acclaimed and experimental group. After many years of Arvind's plays ranging from Shakespear and Tagore to obscure but fascinating plays, I was picked by the Malayalam mega-star Mammootthy to play the lead as his wife in the action film The Train, which launched me into feature films and cinema.
TEAM CREDITS: Photo : Akshay Kerlekar Styled by : Riecha Mallick Makeup : Mukesh Patil Hair: Sasmita Dash Production manager: Anagha Rane
How was it for you working with Madhuri Dixit in Fame Game? Madhuri Ma'am is such a legend that I was thrilled to act alongside her and the fact that it was on such a major production for Netflix made it more special. What was interesting was that Madhuri was playing a famous actress, which she of course is, so it was funny to be acting alongside her playing someone who was in many ways herself. And to add to that, in the film that I was nominated as Best Actress for at the Dubai and Shanghai Film Festivals, Any Story, I also played a famous actress, so I knew exactly how she felt in that character - in fact in my film my character was as troubled as Madhuri's. The whole point of any acting, stage or screen, is to create and get into character and this was a blast to be there with such a formidable actress, director and production and to create my character there.
Since you have worked in both the industries, Hollywood & Bollywood. What are some of the similarities and differences in both industries? The similarities are the passion, dedication and commitment of their artists - artists have chosen these jobs not for money but for the love of creating art and when they are on set they are living their dream and making their dreams come true, so there's nowhere I'd prefer to be. The differences are mainly to do with culture - stories are obviously different as they take place in different countries who have different ways of life, pay is different due to exchange rates and there are also a few more constraints and rules in the US due to their unions. But in terms of professionalism and dedication to their craft - both countries are the same.
Tell us about your human rights work and any message you want to give out with it to fans? I'm the South Asia Ambassador for United for Human Right, the world's largest non-governmental human rights awareness and education program. We spread awareness and education of basic rights and equality and for my work in doing that to over 170 million people in South Asia I was given the Hero Award at the United Nations in New York. Last year I set up a podcast called Born Free & Equal and invited guests like Sonakshi Sinha, Raveena Tandon, Sonu Sood, Sanjana Sanghi, Imtiaz Ali and more, to discuss the human right they thought was most important - each actor or filmmaker gave motivational stories about the right while I and the show's host gave practical information about current issues and how the right affects our day to day life.
It's so important to be aware of your basic rights and equality and also your responsibilities regarding the same, because this is the rule-book to life and it's vital that we know how we and all our fellow Indians have a right to be treated as well as how we must treat others - only by knowing that can we make sure that the rights in the constitution and United Nations Universal Declaration become a fact, not just words on paper.
"it's vital that we know how we and all our fellow Indians have a right to be treated as well as how we must treat others " Designer Credits : Babita Malkhani
MILLESIMAL
Magazine
Do you think India has room for improvement when it comes to women's rights? The whole world has room for improvement, and we must look at the huge strides we've taken and positive improvements we've made in just the last few years. India is a rapidly changing country and so many of those changes are for the better - it's important to realise that major societal shifts take time, which doesn't mean we can rest, but it does mean that we can be encouraged that change is happening. Many of the positive changes, like Me Too, have occured in major cities like Mumbai first and those changes then slowly seep out into the rest of the country, but seep out they do! Again, awareness is most important - our constitution is wonderful and it is very clear on subjects like child marriage as an example, but the insistence on the constitution and laws being followed is what is lacking - The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act prevents marriages between children below the age of 18 for a girl and 21 for a boy. Any male over 18 who marries a girl below 18 can be jailed for two years and fined a lakh, but this isn't enforced because the only one who can report these crimes is the girl herself or her parent or friend, but the girl won't report it for fear of what would happen to her and the parents don't as they are financially benefiting and the real problems is that the person responsible for reporting these crimes has nothing forcing them to - so 47% of girls in rural areas still get married under 18. So in this case, what needs to happen is that the law has to change and not only the parents of the girl herself be given opportunity to report it, but any police officer or other government official who ever hears of or sees a child marriage must be given a legal obligation to report it and there should be huge fines or jail time for priests who carry out such marriages. But again, just enough people knowing about this, discussing it and making it a vote issue is what is needed to make these changes.
NOVEMBER Edition | 2022
MILLESIMAL
Magazine
During the course of your career, As a Female actor did you often encounter inequality? In terms of how you and the male stars were treated? I was very lucky with my directors - National Award Winners like Jayraj, Buddhadeb Dasgupta, the internationally acclaimed genius Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and others - you see, in the arts in general, you get the very best and very worst of people. The best there is in any person is their creativity - all of the best things in life come from individual creativity - inventions, freedom essays, each child born, etc., and when a person pursues their own creativity they not only uplift others and the culture, they also are uplifted emotionally themselves, so their actions are extremely enlightened and they are a joy to be around. However, there are some people who are attracted to artists because they have destructive urges and the biggest effects a negative person can have is to squash people who are creative, like artists - it is these type of people or those who spend too long around people like that, who treat others badly or with inequality. Personally I have spent a long time and a lot of effort in studying about those types of personalities, so it's not just that I have been lucky with my directors - I also don't let negative people into my environment (even or especially the ones with the big smiles but the daggers hidden behind their backs.)
Tell us about that moment when you won the Human Rights Hero Award at the UN. Oh! I got to speak on stage at the UN, where all of my freedom fighting heroes have spoken! Mandela, Martin Luther King spoke outside - Priyanka Chopra! I used my time on that special stage to call for mandatory human rights education in all schools in South Asia. Presently the amount of time given to human rights in Indian schools is tiny - most people don't even know how many rights they have, let alone can they name them and most importantly the absolute vast majority don't know how those rights relate to their day to day lives or what responsibilities they have. There is literally nothing more important in life than knowing what our rights and responsibilities are all of the country and world's laws are based on these documents - the Indian Constitution is the rule book for life in this nation and UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the same for life on this planet. I used my speech at the UN to call for that and I dedicate my life to achieving it - the day every child in India can tell you each right and responsibility they have and what it means for their and society's lives, is the day that those rights will have a chance to become a fact, not just a dream.
NOVEMBER Edition | 2022
Designer Credits : Dots and Doodle
Out of so many roles that you have performed as an actor, which one is your favourite and why? I can't give an answer to this because there's nothing I love more than researching and collaborating with a director to create a character and each one is a different experience. For the role of Reema in Ant Story by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, which got bought by Netflix, my director and I worked for months to research and perfect her nuances - what happens is that film is a director's medium, so ultimately my job is to present things to my director and then let them guide me towards their vision. I enjoyed playing Shreya in ExMates cause comedy is my favourite genre. But, as I said, I can't tell you my favourite as each director has such different styles and each character taught me so much about life and people, so they merge into my own personal journey. That's one of the best things about being an actress - my doing such intense character research and development, by going so deep into the skin of a character, it's like I get to live a hundred lives in one.
Today movies are being released on OTT platform, while some may prefer the old-style theatre release for their big-budget movies. What future and success do you think OTT has in store?
OTT has so much advantage to it that it has made giant strides in terms of popularity, but it's very important for people to get out of their homes and get out and meet others and share life together, not just be stuck at home in front of a screen - so cinema plays an important cultural role. And as we've seen with films like RRR - the spectacle is highly desired by people - they want entertainment, they want to escape and the big screen, shared by a large group, allows them that - so there's no doubt cinema halls are here to stay and screenwriters, producers and directors must stay aware of the desire of the audience to be swept away on adventures.
Designer Credits : Dots and Doodle
THE NOVEMBER ISSUE What does the future look like for you? What kind of roles would you want to do in the coming times? Tell us about your upcoming projects?
My next release is a web-series where I play the lead, called Ex-Mates - it's a comedy drama where I play a go-getter who is stuck in an apartment with her slob of a boyfriend. Also soon out is The Good Wife where I have a Primary role next to Kajol, on a major OTT. There’s also an interdependent film called Justice releasing soon, where I play one of the leads and is releasing in international film festivals and lastly a Hollywood film called Nomad out next year! I have a few other projects that I can't discuss yet, but can't wait to announce, so you'll have to follow me on Instagram to find out!
01 Monaco Grand Pix: The Formula One motor race is held every year in the streets of Monaco and is one of the most prestigious automobile races in the world. This started in the year 1929. This includes drivers from
around
the
globe
to
participate in this race and is one of the most expensive races in the world.
02 Indianapolis 500: This is a form of American openwheel racing and is one of the fastest racing competitions in the USA. This race started in the year 1911 and it has an interesting tradition where the winner of this race needs to finish the race by kissing the brick finishing line and then is presented with a bottle of milk.
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24 Hours Le Mans:
This started in the year 1923. This race requires the participants to cover over 3100 miles in total. This race goes is a 24-hour duration race and tests the endurance of the drivers along with their driving skills. This race has no specific
distance
limit
and
hence
automatically the driver who covers most of the miles becomes the winner of this race. In 2020, for the first time in history, this race was held behind closed doors!
ETHIOPIA
Ethiopia, the country that follows a 13-month T R A is V E7L calendar, and EDITION years behind the rest of the world!
ETHIOPIA, THE COUNTRY THAT FOLLOWS A 13-MONTH CALENDAR, AND IS 7 YEARS BEHIND THE REST OF THE WORLD! - Sejal Aggarwal
Ethiopia might not come to your mind when you think of a place for a vacation, and that’s where you will be going wrong. It is one of the most intriguing places that we know of, and there is enough to support the fact. The country is a melting pot of scenic natural wonders, fascinating history, rare wildlife, and deep-rooted identity. In short, visiting Ethiopia is like a trip back in time. It is one of the most scenically beautiful and fertile countries in Africa, which is exactly the opposite of the presumed notion of being famine and drought infected. Its landscape is graced with things as diverse as castles, deserts, rare wildlife, and much more, you must be wondering why Ethiopia is an underrated travel destination. Well, this is because many are not aware of some of the mindblowing facts about this country. Read on to know more.
13 months in a year There are many cultures around the world that have and follow their own calendars, which is exactly not the same as the Western Gregorian calendar. However, despite that, they abide by the rule of 12 months a year. An Ethiopian year is comprised of 13 months, and is seven years behind the Gregorian calendar. In fact, Ethiopians celebrated the new millennium on September 11, 2007; this is because the Ethiopians continued with the same calendar that the Roman church amended in 525 AD. While the first 12 months have 30 days, the last month, called Pagume, has five days and six days in a leap year. Till date, Ethiopia uses its ancient calendar, which hardly creates any inconvenience for travellers because of the calendar difference. However, most Ethiopians these days are now aware of the Gregorian calendar, and some even use both calendars interchangeably. Ethiopia, being one of the few countries in the world, still uses its own calendar system. The country celebrates some important holidays on days that are different from the rest of the world.
Coffee originated here It is believed that a goat herder way back, centuries ago, noticed that his flock is attracted to a certain kind of bush, and later decided to try it for himself one day. Well, after that day, his herding capability significantly improved and made him more efficient. Legends say that coffee industry took it off from here. So, now you know the origin of your morning coffee shots.
"YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, AS OF WHICH YEAR ARE THEY CURRENTLY LIVING IN? ACCORDING TO THE ETHIOPIAN CALENDAR, THEY ARE LIVING IN THE YEAR 2014." Today, travel may or may not be much easier depending upon the destination you choose, Mt. Everest, the Amazon rainforest, how you plan to get there, tour bus, cruise ship, or oxcart, and whether or not you decide to
Absolute Independence
A haven for vegetarians
It is the only African country that has never been under the colonial control—and it is a fact that the locals will never get tired of boasting. The Italians managed to colonise it in 1935 and remained to rule the country with the military for six years. However, the Ethiopian forces opposed the military rule the entire time, eventually freeing the country from the oppressors. Some locals like to describe the situation as, “We waited until they had built us railways and nice buildings… and then kicked them out.”
The dominant religion that people follow here is orthodox Christianity. This means that those who follow this religion, which will be around half the population, fast for 200-250 days a year approximately. The way they fast is not the way you will imagine, fasting for Ethiopian means instead of abstaining from eating, they abstain from all animal products, i.e., eggs, meat, dairy. Fasting also leads up to religious holidays, and Ethiopia has loads of them; not to forget that people fast every Wednesday and Friday throughout the year. It also means the restaurants will always tend to have a few delightful spicy vegan stews on the menu.
Land of the oldest people As per various archaeological findings, the Afar region in Ethiopia suggests in several ways that the country might be the place, from where we originated. In 1974, Lucy was discovered here, a 3.2-millionyear-old hominid skeleton, which makes it the oldest fossilised skeleton.
WHAT IF I SAY THAT, YOU CAN GO BACK IN TIME? BACK IN TIME, THAT TOO SEVEN YEARS BACK IN TIME THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD. THAT’S UNBELIEVABLE, RIGHT? WELL, THAT’S POSSIBLE IF YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL TO ETHIOPIA.