Stepping onto the SCENE

Millenial actor, Athiya Shetty, navigates a brave new world with effortless grace, determination, and a sparkling warmth

The millennial actor may have only seen the release of her third film, but Athiya Shetty has already captured the attention of worldwide press, her evergrowing social media fans, and the all-important Bollywood moguls. She made her debut in 2015 with the film Hero, and her latest release, Motichoor Chaknachoor, has been a firm favourite among fans during lockdown. Her effortlessly fashionable snaps, cute family throwbacks and graceful poses have helped her gain an impressive two million followers (and counting!). Bollywood’s brightest new star chats to Features Writer, Hanisha Sethi, about navigating through life post-lockdown, her ultimate dream wedding, and growing up in the Shetty household.

How was it working with Khush in Dubai?

I loved it. You guys have such an amazing team and it’s one of the best teams I’ve worked with. Everybody is just so positive and happy. It was a morning shoot, we were on the beach, and my hair was flying absolutely everywhere, but we had so much fun!

What steps do you take to achieve perfection for the roles you play?

The last film I did was Motichoor Chaknachoor where I had to speak in a different dialect of a small-town girl. When you speak in a specific dialect, you should also have the correct body language and understand what’s exactly required.

Did the film get its fair share of appraisal?

Motichoor Chaknachoor did better on Netflix then it did at the box office. I believe it revived itself during the beginning of lockdown and it was trending because everyone was watching movies. I don’t think people expected me to pull that character off. Even though I had great feedback, it motivates you to do better as an actor.