Hi Shriya…
Hello…
I’m Vividh.
I’m Shriya.
I know, you are Shriya, that’s why I addressed you, “Shriya.” (She giggles. And it’s like hundreds of bells ringing.)
This is Shriya Sharma, the little 10-year-old girl with bright eyes, who plays as one of the five lifelines in India’s one of the most popular game-shows on television – Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? on STAR Plus. For the uninitiated, she throngs from Nurpur, Himachal Pradesh. She was awarded as the ‘Pride of Himachal’ trophy by the Nurpur Press Club, a couple of years back, when she visited her native place.
We’ve all adored her in various advertisements – Asian Paints, Sunfeast Pasta, and serials like Kasautii Zindagi Kay, Kanhaiya, and Jhooth Bole Kawa Kaate.
I personally started adoring her from the Asian Paints ad, where she plays the naughty elder kid-sister, instructing her younger brother, “काट-काट, बिंदास काट,” and quickly changes her stance, when her father calls up to find how the kids are doing alone at home. She replies, “पता नहीं, चिंटू सुबह से कुछ कटिंग-शटिंग कर रहा है।” Later in an another ad for the same brand, she is telling her नानी, why their favourite wall is brown. Obviously because आँवले का मुरब्बा is “not happening.” Her favourite snack is a chocolate. She talked to me over the phone, couple of days ago, inspite of having fever. Thoda Pyar, Thoda Magic, is her next movie, releasing next month from the Yashraj stable; and exactly that’s how our conversation went – with a little bit of love and a little bit of magic. I’ve retained the conversation unadulterated, for the magic of it, with no journalistic flairs. Excerpts:
You know, I’m also from Himachal. Shimla! Have you been to Shimla?
Ummmm… शायद।
शायद?
अब याद नहीं है। तब मैं सिर्फ ३-४ साल की थी।
You come to Himachal regularly?
Yes I come to Himachal once every year.
So you like the place?
Yes, It’s a very nice place. ठंडी होती है। We come every year during summer holidays.
तो इस साल आ रहें हैं आप?
अब तो मेरी छुट्टियाँ खत्म होने वाली हैं।
So you didn’t come this year?
No. Because my brother is little.
How little?
He’s just three months old. His name is Yajat.
Rajat?
No. Y. A. J. A. T. (She spells out the name.)
So you won’t come this year?
We’ll come during Diwali holidays.
So what do you do when you come to Himachal?
Ummm… हम बहुत घूमते हैं। We go to Dharamshala. We go to Palampur – मेरी नानी का घर है वहाँ पे। मेरे बहुत सारे cousins आते हैं। We play a lot of games. मेरी दादी के घर पे एक बहुत बड़ा verandah है। वहाँ पे हम roller-skating करते हैं। फिर लोग आते हैं और photo खिंचवाते हैं। हम cycling पे भी जाते हैं।
Okaaay!!! So these days you are working in Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? Are you really पाँचवी पास से तेज़?
I’m in 6th Standard.
No. I’m asking, are you really पाँचवी पास से तेज़?
I’m A+ (Plus).
Great. How do you feel working with Shah Rukh (Khan) – the host of the show – Uncle?
वो बहुत अच्छे है।
आपको उनसे डर नहीं लगता?
शुरू के २-३ दिन लगा था, फिर नहीं। हम सब बच्चों के लिए एक special room है sets पे। तो Shah Rukh भइया कभी कभी वहाँ आ जाते हैं, और हमारे साथ खेलते हैं। और कभी कभी पढ़ाते भी हैं।
क्या पढ़ाते हैं?
जो हमारी school की books हैं, उस में से पढ़ाते हैं।
तो आपको कौन सा actor पसंद है?
Shah Rukh भइया।
भइया? आप उन्हें Uncle नहीं बुलाते?
उन्होंने मना किया है Uncle बोलने से।
तो आपको Shah Rukh भइया की कौन सी film पसंद है?
वैसे तो मुझे Shah Rukh भइया (भइया again, I’m feeling jealous by now) की सभी फिल्में पसंद हैं पर Om Shanti Om सबसे ज्यादा अच्छी लगती है।
तो आपको Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain? में काम करना कैसा लग रहा है?
बहुत मज़ा आ रहा है।
आपने पहले भी Shah Rukh भइया के साथ काम किया है?
Sunfeast Pasta ad में किया था।
पर आप बड़े हो कर भी actor ही बनना चाहते हो?
नहीं। मैं astronaut बनना चाहती हूँ।
So Kalpna Chawla is your idol?
No, Yuri Gagarin is my idol. I want to be the first Indian woman to go into space.
पर आपसे पहले Kalpana Chawla और Sunita Williams space में जा चुकी हैं।
वो space में गई हैं। Moon पे तो कोई woman नहीं गई है। I want to be the first Indian woman to go on moon.
OK. Great. You know, you’ve got very bright eyes.
Thank You Uncle.
This is not fair. Shah Rukh – भइया – और मैं Uncle. I’m a lot younger than Shah Rukh.
OK I’ll call you also भइया then. We haven’t met. So I don’t know, how old you are.
So nobody told you that you’ve got very bright eyes.
No.
क्या आपकी आँखें ऐसी ही हैं, या आप acting के दौरान ऐसा बनाती हो?
पता नहीं।
Have you inherited these bright eyes from your mother?
May be…
आपको पहाड़ी आती है?
नहीं। घर पे कोई नहीं बोलता। जब दादा-दादी आते हैं तो मम्मी-पापा बोलते हैं। पर पहाड़ी भी तो हिन्दी की तरह ही है ना?
नहीं तो!!!
तुस्सी कित्थे जा रहे हो…
पर ये तो पंजाबी है! Ummm… तुस्सा कुत्थू जाँ दे…?
हाँ!!! पर ये भी तो हिन्दी जैसा ही है?
Ummm…. थोड़ी-थोड़ी। आप पहाड़ी गाने भी नहीं सुनते?
नहीं।
तो जब आप हिमाचल आओगे तो मुझसे मिलोगे?
हाँ।
Thank You Shriya and get well soon; and I hope you certainly reach the moon one day.
Thank You भइया।
Hmmmm… I was so overtaken by her brilliance, sweetness, cuteness… that I forgot to ask most of the questions I’d thought, I would, such as – her favourite food, her favourite ad. I just wanted to go on chatting with her. But there was this thought lurking in my mind that I was troubling the kid who was running on fever and still chatting with me. Her emotions were true and very friendly. No airs of a star. Just as bubbly and chirping as she is in her ads.
The phone is handed over to her father, Vikas Sharma, who is an automobile engineer. His wife and Shriya’s mother, Ritu, is a dietician and runs her own clinic, Ritu’s Diet. Sharma informs me that the parents spotted talent in Shriya when she was about three-year old. “We didn’t know the ABC of the industry and had no Godfather. We were new in Mumbai.” Sharma, prior to Mumbai, worked for an automobile company in New Delhi. He still retains the pahari flavour in his voice, and is pleased that somebody from the state has called up for the interview.
The parents have tried to keep away Shriya from mainstream media, so as not to distract the child and create an unnecessary nuisance in the colony. But he wants the state (Himachal Pradesh government) to recognise his child’s talent. “The state has always neglected its stars. Why do we have to come out of the state? Just look at Khali (WWE Champion, Dalip Singh Rana). The state should have been the first to recognise him. He should have been called to Shimla first and honoured. Khali, in turn, could have opened up an academy or something. But, the state government doesn’t care,” Sharma rues, adding, “Look at the Jharkhand government, how it has promoted Dhoni, and set examples for its kids.”
I hope, the Himachal government will honour the little pride of Himachal. Meanwhile, Sharma is planning to present some gift from Himachal to Shriya’s Shah Rukh Bhaiya.
Its a super cute interview just like a girl… and the questions asked to her are really intresting… I really like the piece and hope we get to read more and more intersting stuff!!!
So, Cheers!!!
Hi , she is very cute and is definately a talent for HP , the govt. should take some positive steps, and at least recognise her talent so that the other parents and the children are also motivated……..
Very Cute interview, I like the way the jounalist brought up the intertview. Interview really highlights the child’s innocence and cuteness.
Awesome interview! The charm of the small kid could be captured so beautifully in words! Kudos!
I’m sick off all these western TV rip-offs being guzzled down the throats of the unsuspecting Indian audience. This show has been aired previously in Australia as ‘Are you smarter than a Fifth-grader?’. Indian audiences should reject all this crap and start questioning the need for all these copied TV series. Do you really need all this crap on TV in a country of one billion people?? Surely, some of those can come up with ideas of their own…
Reject all this crap. Create something on your own – like people do in Europe and other respected parts of the world. Indians have copied everything, from ‘Dancing with the stars’ to ‘Britain’s got talent’. Pathetic. Not much difference from the ‘Bappi Lahiri’ days…
Nice Interview. BTW Shreya’s Papa Vikas was my senior in Sainink School Sujanpur and I can remember he used to chat good pahari that time….
Really a good one ! I have enjoyed it very much..as if i was listen to her..bubbly Shreya.May god bless her.Lots of love for the budding Star.
Really Nice
Enjoyed reading it
Keep up the good work!
This is really nice piece of interview. I really enjoyed it. after reading this article, I’m wishing to meet her.
I’m feeling proud that she is from Himachal, and her parents speak Himachali sometimes.
I liked the part about himachali. tusaa kutu jande. (i like whole interview but this is special).
Tusse keike chaale. haaaaaaaaaaaaa.
Really Shriya u have highlighted the name of Himachal. Well done . Keep it up.
I Am From Tamil Nadu,I Found This Site Accidentally When I Was Searching Something About Shriya This Is A Quite Cute Interview,I Wish I Should Speak Or Meet Shriya If Shriya’s Papa Or Mom See’s This They Should Please Help Me To Speak To Shriya My No:+919894139201
hi shriya you are the cutest girl i have ever seen i wish i could meet you what is your id
Nice interview! hey can you please give me Shriya’s phone number & email address?? plz……… i wanna talk to her
there is no doubt that this cute little girl is the pride of himachal pradesh
well going………….
अरे वो तो बहुत cute and smart hai. मै तो उस्से कभ्से उस्के साथ दोस्ति karna chahta hu.
please अगर किसि के साथ उसका address हो, तो फिर please mujhe उस्का address mujhe please tell me if anyone has her address.please.please.
hi shreya.we all love you.i and my parents want to meet you.you have a cute smile.my email id is sanatutchil@-mail.com.if you are free anytime you can come and chat with me.please send me an email.my phone number is 00xxxxxxxx.please tell me your address and answer my mail.
Mod’s note: – Email and cell phone number removed from post
The interview is nice.. i just want to tell shriya that I was also born at palampur…
I am currently studying in Delhi..
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