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Haelyn Shastri is among the many talented actresses from the South who aspired to make it to Bollywood, and with hard work, made her dream come true. She recently made her Bollywood debut with the Rohit Shetty-starrer ‘Sooryavanshi’ which released on Diwali this year. She shared limited but impactful screen space with Akshay Kumar as the Anti-Terrorist Squad officer Malvika Gupta. Here’s the actress in a chat with ETimes…

You had limited screen time in ‘Sooryavanshi’. Do you think it’s difficult for actors from down South to get a lead role in Bollywood?


I agree that visibility for an actor is very important. But I would like to add that it’s not just about how small or big a role is going to be. It is the role, the character by which people will connect with you. Of course, it will be based on how you perform. But, as much as screen space is important, even a small role can create an impact if the character is played right. So yeah, I actually did not expect anyone to notice me screaming ‘pitaaji’ and ‘abu’ in the film. But it happened and I’m so happy!

Basically, I am from Porbandar in Gujarat and started my career in the South. To get more work there, I learnt the Malayalam language. And then entered TV industry and now Bollywood. It has been pretty interesting. I believe that if you are fit for the role, they will find you from anywhere. Some scripts are made based on actors if they all worked together. But again, actors like me with no support from any industry, can have it a bit difficult.

And it is understood that these are commercial films and producers money is involved with a lot more factors. One cannot just take the risk to cast any newcomer. But that doesn’t mean newcomers don’t get a chance. It’s all your talent and luck that makes you reach that level. But again how will you work hard if there’s no hurdle.

How did you get the film?

I went to watch ‘Simmba’ and in the end, I saw ‘Sooryavanshi’ is an upcoming movie by Rohit sir. So, I instantly felt an urge to be a part of the film. I literally started manifesting resources to act with Akshay Kumar. I have a habit of reading credits till the end of the film and tried to search them over the various platforms and mailed them. Later, I received a revert from the team saying, “Thank you and we will see if you’re fit for the role as it is a cop movie so there are not many female roles. We’ll let you know.”

Although I had lost hope, after a month or two, they informed me that there was a role in this film that can have less dialogue but will be prominent in the film. Keeping that mind, I rejected a few TV roles and waited for ‘Sooryavanshi’ but time went by and in the end, there was no revert. The next day I heard that ‘Sooryavanshi’ shoot had started. With a heavy heart, I tried to accept the rejection. A few days passed by and again I got a call for a new role which surprisingly came up. Although there was no name of this character until recently when I wore police uniform for ATS Malvika Gupta. And that’s how I bagged this role.

What’s next? When can we see you in Hindi films again?


Hopefully soon! I am in talks for two projects that I cannot reveal right now, but I will share if things work positively.