Move over Katrina Kaif, Amy Jackson and Sunny Leone, there is a new NRI in town and she plans to go places. From the bombshell in Yaariyan to the ditzy girl in Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani , Evelyn Sharma, the actress who made her debut playing the role of Lubaina, the girl next door in the film From Sydney With Love , has come a long way. She is slowly, but surely, creating ripples in Bollywood. The seven-film-old actress, who has been playing supporting roles till now, is the female lead in V.K. Prakash’s Ishqedarriyan .
And although her reel image till now may have been that of a diva, at heart, Evelyn calls herself a small town girl. “I grew up in a small town in Germany where I learnt to enjoy the simple things in life,” says the half German-half Indian.
And that could be a reason why she could identify with Luvleen, her character in Ishqedarriyan . Luvleen is from a small town in Himachal Pradesh. Calling Ishqedarriyan her debut as it is for the first time that she is playing a solo lead actress, Evelyn says: “Although I have enjoyed playing an NRI in the past, I want variety in my work; I want to experiment with roles till I discover my niche. This is the time when I can experiment the most, when I am new to the field. Once I am established as an actor, trying out different roles and genres is a bit risky as the audience might not accept me in such roles. Although I feel comedy is my forte and would love to go the Jennifer Anniston and Salma Hayek way, I want to push myself to see if there are other genres I am good at. Ishqedarriyan will show me in a different light. I get to portray a gamut of emotions – right from being happy-go-lucky to heartbroken and vulnerable. I have gone totally de-glam in the movie and don’t sport any make-up. This is to keep the role as realistic as possible.”
Ishqedarriyan , she says, is a romantic drama. A simple, musical love story, she stars opposite Mahaakshay [actor Mithun Chakraborty’s son] in the film. “Mahaakshay plays a rich boy who realises money can’t buy everything. He also sacrifices his love for someone else.”
Luvleen runs her grandfather’s school for the less privileged.
Evelyn admits she had to work hard for the role of Luvleen. “I had to work with a diction teacher to get the Punjabi accent right,” says the actor who is proud to have dubbed all her films herself. “I have a flair for languages and although I didn’t know Hindi, with hard work, I can now speak the language reasonably well.”
Her stint in theatre while in Germany has stood her in good stead in Bollywood. “It has helped me emote and get into the skin of the character, easier,” says the die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan. “My favourite movie of his is Dilwale Dulhani Le Jayange . I would love to work with him one day.”
A talented singer, Evelyn has sung in an album in collaboration with Indo-American artiste Brooklyn Shanti. She enjoys penning her thoughts and ‘Something Beautiful’, her song in Shanti’s album, is a reflection of a time when she did not feel too good about herself. She plans to release an album comprising her songs shortly.
The kind of person who believes in seizing the moment, she grabbed the chance when offered the opportunity to be part of Life Mein Ek Baar , a reality drama-cum-travel show. “Who wouldn’t? You are handed the chance to see the world and paid for it. The only problem is that one tends to face one’s fears on the show as we discover the adventurous side of life. I am dead scared of heights but have managed to conquer it – I flew a helicopter and it was exhilarating,” says Evelyn who has a couple of new films lined up. “I can’t announce them yet, but yes, the audience can look forward to seeing me in new, interesting roles.”
Five things you will find in Evelyn’s bag
Lip balm
Sun glasses
Blush
Hairbrush
Shawl
