Saumya Uniyal Calls Working With Rajesh Sharma in Matargashti a Learning Experience: “He Has Always Been Someone I Looked Up To”

Actress Saumya Uniyal, known for her acting work in projects like Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, Tum Mere Ho, Waiting Hai and Sisterhood, is currently seen in Netflix’s Matargashti, starring Rajesh Kumar and Adrija Sinha. The actress gets candid about her character, the scenes that challenged her as a performer, and her experience of working with veteran actor Rajesh Sharma and the rest of the cast.

Talking about what drew her to the role, Saumya shares, “The first thought when I read the script was, ‘Oh my God, this is me!’ There were so many quirks that Charu had that I resonated with, and I felt I could authentically translate them on screen. I hail from a Tier 2 city myself, Dehradun, so all the instances and nuances that the characters shared felt real. This was also the first time I was given the opportunity to play such a big part, and I was really excited to see how much space I could have as an artist to play around.”

Recalling the scenes that challenged her during the shoot, Saumya reveals that two moments, in particular, pushed her as a performer. She says, “There were two. One is the scene that has been going viral, in which Charu confronts Dhara for saying that she wants to have sex. Surprisingly, this was my audition scene. First, I sent it as a self-test, and then we did it twice in person with our director, Siddhant Chavan. Surprisingly, doing it again and again made me more nervous. I kept wondering, ‘Is it even landing?’”

She further shares, “The second one was the scene in which Prakash, Dhara’s father, played by Rajesh sir, confronts Charu when she stuffs her mouth with a paan to avoid any conversation. The paan was way too big for my mouth, and honestly, I don’t really eat paan. I was having a hard time figuring out how to do the scene when I myself wasn’t feeling fully confident. It was there that Rajesh sir helped me out with the scene, and the rest is in front of you.”

Speaking about her experience of working with Rajesh Sharma, Saumya expresses admiration for both his craft and his personality. She says, “Rajesh sir has been someone I have looked up to for so many years. His work speaks for itself, and his talent for moulding himself into a character so easily is commendable. But what I really adore about him is how grounded, humble and patient he was throughout the shoot. Not for a second did he make us feel excluded.”