I caught up with actress Elysèe Sheikh to ask her a few questions about her first film ‘Sacch’ which is to be released around December 2019. The actress talked about her character in the film and her experiences of performing in an Urdu language project and working under her father, Zulfikar Sheikh’s direction. Is this your first acting experience? If so, how difficult was the whole process of rehearsing and developing your character? This is my first experience of acting in a film but I have been involved in theatre performance for around 10 years. I attended acting and dancing classes from a young age and it became a passion. I also acted in TV drama “Ansoo” amongst others when I was four. The personality of my character is very much like my own, which I thought would make the process easier but it made it more difficult and actually taught me a lot about myself. I worked hard and sat down with the other actors every night to ensure my Urdu accent was perfect (as I am from Scotland), to make sure we completely understood the feel and meaning behind each beautiful scene and to strengthen our chemistry. You have seen him as a father, but how is Zulfikar Sheikh as a professional man? Did you feel that he is altogether a different person on the sets? In some ways, yes! My father is a total professional. Myself and everyone working on the film saw that on set, he was my director, not my father. I really respected and appreciated this because he got the best out of me. He’s a very funny and warm person to be around on and off set, so his character never changes, and I think all actors respected him even more for this. He also has a lot of respect and appreciation for every single person on set. He got the best performance out of all of us. What kind of girl are you playing in the film? A vulnerable one or a strong woman of the 21st century? Definitely a strong woman who doesn’t take rubbish from anyone, exactly the way I am in real life! The wonderful writer, Haseena Moin, writes incredibly strong women into her scripts and it was a total honour to bring that strong, no nonsense female character in “Sacch” to life. I absolutely loved my character. She cares for others and has a pure heart. She has been betrayed in the past which makes her even stronger. She’s intelligent, passionate and brave though her heart is still a bit delicate; a modern woman with traditional family values. The story has been developed by my father Zulfikar Sheikh and it’s beautifully written by Haseena Moin. Both of them are a great duo when it comes to storytelling and film making. ‘My father is a total professional. Myself and everyone working on the film saw that on set, he was my director, not my father. I really respected and appreciated this because he got the best out of me. He’s a very funny and warm person to be around on and off set, so his nature never changes and I think all actors respected him even more for this’ Haseena Moin is one of the finest writers we have. What do you have to say about her script? What an incredible honour to have played one of the characters she has written. Reading the script and learning the lines was like reading poetry. She has written scenes that make you laugh, cry and make your heart break. She has written such a strong female character for me which is in stark contrast to the women who get abused and harassed on a lot of TV dramas and movies recently. She has shown women in such a strong and positive light while writing a powerful storyline which will take the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions. Haseena Moin’s script is truly a work of art. Zulfikar and Tasmina Sheikh’s projects have always left a message for the viewers. Will the viewers get to learn something from ‘Sacch’ the film? Oh definitely! The strength and importance of family values will be highlighted throughout the film and the powerful ending will surely give the viewers a very strong and beautiful family-orientated message. The writer is a freelance journalist and can be reached at m.ali_aquarius85@yahoo.com