Aamna--I believe in being unique’

Past and present meld together as actor Aamna Shariff relates the story of her life

After being in the industry for over three years, the less you know about the enigmatic actor, the happier she is. Today, Aamna Shariff is one of our most intriguing stars on TV. "I am shy by nature and believe in being unique. If people read about you every day, where is the curiosity value left?" she asks?

Testing different vocations

I lost my father 12 years back and it is my experiences, the belief in myself and my mother's blessings that has got me so far. I belong to a conservative Muslim family and she has gone against everyone to ensure that I make a career in acting. I used to attend college, model and work as a designer. Modelling and acting are two entirely different mediums. In ads, one barely speaks two lines, in music videos, too, one has to lip-sync. And when I started acting, I used to get confused between the screenplay and dialogue copy. I would have been a designer if not an actor.

'Kahiin Toh Hoga'

Ektaa Kapoor had seen me in an ad and took a chance on me. She is responsible for the fame and success that I have achieved in this industry. I realised that the role is a huge responsibility and have to give it my all to prove myself. Once the show settled, the challenges only increased. Playing the same character for three years, one has to keep re-inventing oneself as people do get bored. One thing I made clear to Ektaa and Shobha (Kapoor) aunty is that I won't play a character without conviction. I will not do things that are forced on me.

Shows and fans

I shoot 15 days a month so I do a lot of stage shows in my free time. I have recently travelled to Dubai, Maldives, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Guwahati and Nepal and the affection that I receive from the crowds is amazing. I am very particular about every expression of mine and my outfits on screen. If I get complacent, even for a day, in my acting or costumes, my fans call or SMS saying that they are disappointed. At shows, one has to be very careful when dealing with fans. Luckily, I have never had unpleasant incidents but am always on guard for the worst.

Films and new TV shows

I have received a lot of film offers but have yet to receive one that my heart feels is the perfect debut film. People are ready to pull me down so I am going to be cautious and it should be something that takes me further than what I have achieved. As for TV, I have liked two concepts presented to me by Sony but will sign up only once all the details are worked out.

t_usha@dnaindia.net