From homemaker to home-breaker, Sanam Chaudhry has played them all
The last thing I expected to see Sanam Chaudhry sporting is a nerdy look. It is in complete contrast to her twirly-whirly blond hair extensions while playing the devious home-breaker Anji of Ghar Titli Ka Par (GTKP). Or the tearful and vulnerable Hania of the recently concluded Baydardi Saiyyan. Or the tomboy Ayaan in her ongoing TV serial Rubaru Tha Ishq.
She turns up sporting black wire-rimmed glasses, an oversized checkered top and denim capris; her poker-straight dark hair accentuating her rose petal complexion. That she arrives a mere 15 minutes after the appointed time could easily be blamed on traffic and not yet on star nakhras, for even after almost a decade of successful TV serials and her debut film Jackpot, she comes across as extremely unassuming and grounded.
A day away from the premiere of Jackpot, she admits she is nervous. “I feel pressured because it is my first film,” she says. “People have seen me on TV doing miserable roles or the wicked home breaker on TV but in Jackpot I am the traditional ‘heroine’, I am a bit confused. But having said that, I feel confident that people will like me in the film.”
Talking about her role in the film, Sanam says, “I am a performer and people have seen me in solid roles on TV such as Rabiya in Khataa, the title role in Shiza, Kashaf in Bohtaan, Anji in Ghar Titli Ka Par and as Ayaan in Rubaru Tha Ishq, to name a few — so by playing Chandni in Jackpot I felt I wasn’t contributing so much in the film as I would have liked to. But then generally it is the male lead who carries the film. But I’m happy my first film is out there, I got big-screen exposure and was right beside the male lead, doing all that ‘heroines’ do but, as an actor, I’m not satiated.”
Sanam Chaudhry has several successful roles to her credit in TV dramas. But before she signs up for any more films, she wants to gauge the response to her debut film Jackpot
Why didn’t she refuse the role? “I didn’t turn down the role in Jackpot because I fell in love with the script. It is hilarious and a lot of fun to do.”
Sanam’s sister Zaib Chaudhry who is also an actor, introduced her to showbiz some 10 years ago. In 2013, she was nominated as the Best Soap Actress at the 3rd Hum Awards for her role in the drama serial Bhool. “I was only 16 when I started getting offers from TV. I did one play and thought that this is too much pressure and I’d rather pursue my studies. But a couple of years later, I was bombarded with acting offers and I had to leave my studies,” she laughs.
Khataa was her favourite serial until the role of Anji came her way. In GHTP, she plays Anjum aka Anji, a middle-class ‘material girl’ who has a devious, devil-may-care attitude as far as her needs and desires are concerned — it could be a waiter whom she flirts with to get a free meal or her best friend’s brother to get married into a rich family, the fellow in her neighbourhood or the husband of her best friend whom she is extremely jealous of. The overly-ambitious Anji treats her husband like dirt and dumps her kids on the maid for her devilish schedule.
“Anji is the pits but I have loved playing her,” says Sanam, her face beaming. “I like it when people forget my name and remember me by my character’s name. I had been crying way too much in the roles I’d been getting and when the role of the mean, wicked Anji came my way, I thought it would give me a much-needed break. I had to choose between the sweet Bia or the evil Anji. After I read the script, I realised that this was Anji’s game right through so I decided to play her. Now everyone is offering me similar roles but none of them are as bad, or as good,” she laughs out loud just like Anji.
I am a performer and people have seen me in solid roles on TV, so by playing Chandni in Jackpot I felt I wasn’t contributing so much in the film as I would like to have but then generally it is the male lead who carries the film.”
So which side of Anji is the real Sanam, the sweet pretentious side that Anji puts on when she is at her cunning best or the ugly, vicious vamp who hides behind the adorable, caring person she pretends to be? “I am not at all like Anji,” Sanam cracks up laughing heartily. “She is a dangerous woman. GTKP is only Anji’s story. Even though Aiman Khan plays the female protagonist or lead and I am the antagonist, I’m the mover and shaker of whatever happens in the lives of the characters in the serial.”