Hema Sharma, an actor from Muradnagar, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, has been in the entertainment business for more than ten years. She has worked in movies, and TV shows, and is now trying out OTT series. Sharma is happy that she persisted through tough times and managed to stay afloat in the industry.
“I come from a middle-class family in a small town. This gave me a lot of real-life experience and the courage to survive in the big city. I’ve seen people from rich families and big cities struggle here.
It’s really hard, but not giving up on your dreams is important. I might not have achieved a lot yet, but I’m still working hard.
The best part is that my struggle helped me stay in the industry and find work,” says the actor from “Yamla Pagla Deewana Phir Se”.
Sharma recently filmed for her first web series, “Inspector Avinash.” “I play the wife of a politician and have good scenes with Randeep Hooda.
The series was shot in different places, but my scenes were in Mumbai. Director Neeraj Pathak said he’d like to work with me again, so I’m hopeful.”
Initially, Sharma wanted to be a choreographer. “I learned Kathak for six years and Bharatnatyam as well. I came to Delhi to become a choreographer but ended up in Mumbai. Choreography didn’t work out, but I did all the songs for a Rajasthani music album, ‘Veena Chat Pe,’ which did well.
I started getting small acting roles to survive. I’ve done many projects, some so small I can’t even remember their names.” Sharma returned to Mumbai in 2015 after a break.
“That’s when my real journey began. I went to the US and did shows with Govinda, Esha Deol, and Neha Dhupia. Then I got roles in TV serials like ‘Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat’ and ‘Kahaan Hum Kahaan Tum.’ The movie ‘YPDPS’ in 2018, where I worked with Dharmendraji, was like a dream come true, followed by ‘One Day: Justice Delivered’ with Anupam Kher and ‘Dabangg 3’.” Lately, she has been creating dance reels on social media, which have garnered attention and led to more work.