Actress Sheena Chohan Says Human Rights Work Draws Her to Projects Like Kajol’s ‘The Trial’
Known for ‘The Fame Game’ and ‘City of Dreams 2’ Actress Sheena Chohan, whom the office of United Nations Human Rights Commissioned Volker Turk reached out personally to help them spread awareness of 75 years of the UN’s Universal Declaration on Human Rights; says that it is her passion to spread awareness of basic rights and equality that drives her to choose parts in strong, female oriented projects, like ‘The Trial’, starring Kajol and directed by Suparn Verma, that she has a major role in.
Sheena’s podcast “Born Free & Equal” had stars like Preety Zinta, Guneet Monga and entrepreneur Rohini Iyer gather together in a call for Safety, Equality, and Respect by asking people to read the Indian Constitution and UN’s rights, to see how they protect rights for women. She had stars like Sonakshi Sinha, Raveena Tandon, Tisca Chopra and many more on her podcast, motivating people to learn their rights and all of that ties in what she calls the “New Wave of Strong Female Oriented Content that’s changing our country.”
Sheena says: “I’m so excited for the release of ‘The Trial’ because Suparn Verma, the team at Disney and Kajol have taken the new wave of women-oriented content to a new level – showing real independence and girl-power. It sets such a good example to India and the world for how women have the right to stand on their own feet, even in such a combative world as court room law. My character in this show is quiet and reserved, which is harder to play because everything happens in her inner consciousness. Really my character is one who represents too much of India – she needed to learn to stand up for her rights – to have the confidence that our Constitution and membership in the UN gives all women. And what I’m most happy about is how women in our industry are doing just that – Kajol carries this major show on her back and there’s countless other female stars and filmmakers doing the same – it’s such an exciting time because we are all really taking advantage of our freedoms and showing that women’s rights are real.”
About being on set with Kajol for ‘The Trial’, Sheena said: “When I work, I always talk to all the crew. I always make it fun. I always nurture a relationship that makes people feel like they’re important, like they’re a part of the collaboration. I feel that way about the other crew and actors on set. I don’t talk to them like I’m a Diva. I talk to them like they’re my peers. I absolutely love and enjoy my work and strive for excellence at the same time and I learned that from Kajol.”
Next up Sheena plays the lead in a Hindi biopic directed by Aditya Om and starring ‘The King of Biopics’, Subodh Bhave. Last week, she wrapped up shooting the first season for a new webseries for a major OTT as a negative lead in a super natural thriller. She says “It was so much fun! So wild to play the opposite of good. Earlier I played a Saint’s Wife and now I am playing The Devil! I love acting because you get to do both sides - the good and evil!”