Don't give much thought to awards' reliability because it deters my creativity: Ushna Shah
Ushna Shah is on a roll.
After popular performances in TV dramas like Bashar Momin, Lashkara and Alif Allah Insaan, her portrayal of Nigaar in Balaa is the one that got her noticed by the Lux Style Awards. The actor has received a Best TV Actress nomination this year.
In Balaa, Ushna plays Nigaar, a spoiled, self-centered young woman whose personality has been stunted less by her actual disability than by others' reactions to it. She may have a congenital defect that makes her walk with a limp but it's her father's coddling that has warped her personality.
There is nothing outrageous about Nigaar, she isn’t rude nor is she loud but she understands human psychology just a little too well and has no qualms about manipulating others or pushing anyone out of her way.
We ask Ushna what it was like to play this complex character and how it feels to finally be recognised for her work.
Images: This is your first LSA nomination. Given your character was hotly discussed when Balaa was airing, were you expecting that this will be your year?
Ushna Shah: This is my first LSA nomination and I am very grateful for it. While I was working on Balaa, I hadn’t really given it much thought as I was completely focused on the character that I was playing.
I left the country soon after and couldn’t really live through the hype and love that the serial had received. I thoroughly appreciate all the love and response I have received from the public and it makes me so happy to see people love our work.
Images: Nigaar isn't the first of your characters to have provoked a response - people appreciated you in Bashar Momin, Lashkara, Alif Allah Aur Insaan, etc. Why do you think it took so long for critics to notice your acting prowess?
Ushna: I wouldn’t say that it took them long because when I did Bashar Momin, I won the best newcomer award for it. Likewise, I received a HUM TV award for Alif Allah Aur Insaan.
Lashkara was very successful critically rather than commercially and to me it has been one of my most favorite characters. The story was relatively dark and analytically it picked up; however, award shows pick an all-rounder that is both commercially and critically successful.
I do believe acting wise there are platforms that recognise artists properly.