If talent has a name, it is Sajal Ali. She captures the screen and makes it her own each time. Every television and film role she has played to this day, speaks volumes. Sajal Ali has redefined what it means to be an actor. She is a force to reckon with and there is no holding her back, as in this interview. You have achieved a lot in just a few years. Looking back, how have you evolved as a person? I have changed tremendously. Time has an amazing way of developing you and shaping you into an individual. I think I have realized who I am, where I stand and what I am worth. Your last feature film was Mom opposite Sridevi. How was she as a person when you first met her and what is the fondest memory of her that you recall? Me and her shared a mother daughter relationship. She was a legend and she made me feel so comfortable. We had a very special bond. There are very few people who always stay alive and I really miss her. The actor says she had a very special bond with Sridevi. “There are very few people who always stay alive and I really miss her” How do you regulate negativity in your life? Does it ever affect you professionally? No, not at all. Any negativity that is part of my life is just that: part of MY life. It does not need to find its way into my profession. An actor’s job is to perform and I try my best to stay neutral on set and give my best performance. You will star in the new drama ‘Aangan’. What can people take away from this project and your character? ‘Aangan’ is a beautiful project with beautiful characters. It is a wonderful story about what people really experienced during the partition rather than the partition itself. I would want people to watch Aangan to understand the character. I believe that some roles need to be experienced than be explained. What latest projects other than Aangan can fans expect from Sajal Ali? They will have to wait (winks). How do you normalise such incredible characters that you portray on screen? What is your mind map when you undertake a distinctive role? To be honest, that is the job. My process focuses deeply on my characters circumstances and how I can express my character authentically under those conditions. As an actress, what would you like to explore next? Anything and everything. As long as there is a story to tell, I will tell it. What can amateur actors learn from Sajal Ali? Well, I don’t think it is appropriate for me to say what someone can learn from me. I think all actors learn from each other in an endless learning process. We often make it a point to differentiate junior, senior and amateur actors when we are all simply just actors. Is there anything on your bucket list that you would like to accomplish in the future? I seriously want to get into direction. What has been your craziest fan moment? It is when I realise that people I work with are my fans, or people who rather enjoy my work. What is your opinion on today’s social media? I think social media has affected the perception that actors have of themselves. Our job is to act and our worth is determined through our work NOT our social media following. Social media is an unfair judgment to the popularity and worth of an actor especially when it comes to getting casted or landing sponsorships. Before social media was around, an actor’s work was judged, not their following. How do you stay grounded, especially belonging to an industry that demands the best version of yourself all the time? I stay grounded because I focus on my work. It might be showbiz but for me it is art. Sajal’s acting prowess is beyond words. She is all set to star in the forthcoming period drama ‘Aangan’ and will grace our screens yet again with her incredible character and of course, great performance. I am all for it! The writer is a model and an actor. He can be reached at haiderrifaat95@gmail.com Published in Daily Times, April 16th 2018.