I practised my skills daily to meet the features of Nayika Devi: Actress Khushi Shah

At all stages of my career, I have come across numerous hurdles. I have been attracted to cinema since my adolescence and have always believed that I belong here. My journey has been full of opportunities and obstacles. Moreover, I have worked in multiple regional film industries, and five it is not a five-finger exercise. Yet, I endured it all to live my passion.

Essaying the role of Nayika Devi, the lead wasn’t very easy. Nayika Devi was the first female warrior queen of the 12th century. She was a queen, wife, mother and warrior who excelled in warcraft. She was the pride of Gujarat. The character is very powerful and challenging. It demands fearlessness, courage and so much action in its action scenes.

It was truly overwhelming. He is amongst the most celebrated names in Bollywood. I have always seen the movies of Chunky Panday and admired his versatility as an actor. And now, working with him was like a dream. He is so down to earth and I have learnt so many things from him.

It was a particularly challenging role. I practised my skills daily to meet the features of Nayika Devi. From expressions, costumes and acting to the action scenes, I worked on every element to do justice to the character. I have done my best to get under the skin of the character.

Working in any regional cinema demands you adapt yourself to it. I was familiar with a few languages, but in others, like Bhojpuri, I spent days learning and understanding the language. Moreover, the working pattern and techniques differ according to the cinema and they can be a real challenge sometimes.