In the spirit of Independence, on the eve of 15th August, Sheena Chohan tells stories from her Independent Film sets where she played the lead, directed by Multi-National Award Winners, Independent Film Legends… and a Malayalam Megastar.

Sheena says: “On Independence Day we celebrate Freedom Fighters like Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Ambedkar, Ammu Swaminathan and all the millions of Indians who stood up for our right to our own country, our nationality – our freedom. But in the same breath I celebrate Independence in film – millions of artists who, in many similar ways to the Independence Movement, refuse to be tied down by the dominant system, loudly voice their opinions, whatever the result and face personal hardship and ruin, for the sake of the freedom of controlling their destiny. As part of that celebration, I want to tell some tales from the sets of my decade of adventures with some of India’s finest Independent Filmmakers – the Freedom Fighters of Cinema!”

1. Mostofa Sarwar Farooki

Working with Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, one of Independent Films most loved international directors, was an adventurous journey of experimentation and realism. Known for intense and innovative preparation, Farooki assigned Sheena three months of dialect coaching and script reading with a Bangladeshi coach. The preparation was extensive, but the real challenge came on set, where the script was ever-evolving. Sheena embraced this unpredictability, delivering a subtle yet powerful performance that aligned with Farooki’s experimental vision. Filming in Bangladesh, Sheena relished the opportunity to create a character from scratch, remaining a blank page to Farooki’s considerable vision, and always staying in the moment to capture the director’s spontaneous creativity. Sheena was nominated Best Actress in the Shanghai Film Festival for this character, where the Jury Head was Shekhar Kapur.

2. Buddhadeb Dasgupta

Sheena’s collaboration with the multiple National Award Winning, legend of Bengali Independent Cinema, Buddhadeb Dasgupta was marked by a deep dive into the world of another freedom fighter – Rabindranath Tagore. After meeting Dasgupta at his daughter’s home in Mumbai, Sheena was entrusted with the director’s personal books on Tagore’s life and work. Her task was to internalize the essence of Tagore’s poetry and bring it to life through the creation and interpretation of one of Tagore’s characters. Shot in an ancestral home of Tagore, Sheena presented Buddhadeb, who was famous for a minimal style, with subtle nuances of Tagore’s daughter – a woman who longed for freedom of choice to play her violin, but was restrained until the final scene when Sheena, who studied violin in school, broke away from her chains and played a symphony in the rain. By focusing on her expressive eyes and emotive presence, Sheena was able to create a character that resonated with the poetic and historical richness of Tagore’s legacy.

3. Jairaj

In her action film with the renowned Jayaraj, a seven-time National Award-winning director, Sheena Chohan experienced direction by a master known for his ability to draw powerful performances from actors and a knack for working with actors to create compelling and relatable characters. Sheena’s association with him began in Mumbai, where Jayaraj’s brief was for her to embody the love interest of Mammootty with authenticity. On set, Sheena embraced Jayaraj’s vision by following his instructions closely – creating a character based on a deep and in-person study of local Malayalam women – their expressions, mannerisms and cultural reactions. Sheena’s approach, which she learned from her five years of professional theatre, not only catered to the director’s vision but also highlighted her ability to create layered characters.

4. Aditya Om

Sheena’s collaboration with Aditya Om, an independent filmmaker who directed her Hindi feature film debut, where she plays the female lead opposite Subodh Bhave, was one of the most enriching experiences of her career. Aditya Om is known for a high level of attention to detail, but on this set he took it to new levels to respect the religious sensitivities and historical accuracies necessary for this story, and his direction of Sheena was no exception. Sheena, who is well known for her in-depth character research and commitment to character, studied the history well and went into village fields near where Sant Tukaram lived to spend time with the village women who worked in the area , observing their body language and were close to as Sheena’s character. Aditya Om’s guidance helped her unleash new aspects of her acting prowess, as he encouraged her to delve into the nuances of the character. This trust and creative freedom enabled Sheena to bring Avali to life with authenticity and depth of character. Sant Tukaram, Sheena’s Hindi feature debut, will release soon.

After so long in independent cinema, Sheena featured as a the female lead in the series Ex Mates, for which she just won her nest actress in Comedy award. Her recent film Amar Prem was launched in the main Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival by Joint Secretary for Broadcasting and Information Mr. Sanjiv Shankar and she just wrapped her Hollywood film Nomad, directed by Taron Lexton, which equalled the Guinness Record for number of countries it was filmed in (26).

Also while in the US, Sheena was presented with the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award, signed by American President Biden, for her work spreading awareness of basic rights and equality to 170 million people as the South Asia Ambassador of United For Human Rights, which makes her a true life freedom fighter.