Anushka Sharma: Imtiaz Ali’s female characters are very well-defined

For Imtiaz Ali’s Jab Harry Met Sejal, Anushka Sharma reunites with Shah Rukh Khan, her co-star from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008) and Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012). Since her debut in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, the actress has come a long way, playing varied and interesting characters that have showed off her talent.

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Sharma, speaking with the media at a promotional event, lauded writer-director Ali for his understanding of the characters he creates, giving actresses like herself enough material to work with onscreen. Sharma and Khan are both collaborating with Ali for the first time on the romantic travelogue.  

Sharma plays Sejal, a tourist who meets Khan’s tour guide Harry on a European vacation, where she loses her engagement ring. Sejal is a sheltered Gujarati girl, Sharma explained, whose inner circle consists of only her family.

Cinestaan.com asked Sharma how her character Sejal stood out from the female characters Ali has written before. She responded, “What I like about Imtiaz is that his female characters are very well-defined and that there is a journey that they have through his films — [from] coming-of-age through the process of falling in love with somebody or just being affected by another person’s presence in your life. I think that comes out very beautifully in the film. Sejal has a journey of finding and connecting with her true self in the process.”

Additionally, Sharma also defended her Gujarati accent in the film, saying she was helped develop it by a young Gujarati woman, Dimple, who lives in Mumbai and talks the way Sejal does.

According to Sharma, writer-director Ali has come across young women like Sejal and used them as reference for the role.  

Jab Harry Met Sejal is due to be released on 4 August.