Big responsibility for me: Sharvari Wagh on working with Alia Bhatt on YRF-led spy film

Mumbai: Actor Sharvari Wagh is ecstatic to feature alongside Alia Bhatt in Yash Raj Films' (YRF) female spy universe movie, calling it a “big responsibility”.

In March this year, YRF CEO Akshaye Widhani had officially announced their maiden female-led spy film. The YRF spy universe began in 2012 with Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif-starrer “Ek Tha Tiger”, followed by blockbusters like “Tiger Zinda Hai”, “War”, “Pathaan”, “Tiger 3”, and “Fighter”.

The yet-to-be-titled film will see Bhatt and Wagh play super-agents in the action entertainer. The movie will go on floors this year.

"It is an exciting time for women in the industry because roles are written for them. The fact that films like spy universe which were headlined by big superstars, and for me to be sharing screen with Alia Bhatt, who is a huge star, is a big deal and big responsibility,” Wagh, who made her Bollywood debut with YRF's 2021 film “Bunty Aur Babli 2”, told PTI in an interview.

The actor, who looks up to Katrina Kaif, Deepika Padukone, and Bhatt as female action stars, believes it's about time that women took the lead in action films and set an example for the next generation.

"The expectations are high but there’s always a first time. I’m fortunate to be part of a first-time thing (female led action film). I’m very proud to be part of such a film because I know a lot of young women and girls of every age group will watch a film like this. I’m sure we will be able to inspire them because if not now, then when?” The two-film-old Wagh started undergoing extensive training for three-four months in action but little did she know that this was her audition test for the spy-film.

"I didn’t know that I was auditioning for the film, I didn’t know that a female-led spy film was getting made. I had met Adi (Aditya Chopra) sir and he wanted me to train in action. This was more than a year ago. He wanted me to go to a particular class and asked to shoot my videos and action sequences. The first two months went in learning the basics. It is not as easy as Tiger Shroff makes it look like,” the actor recalled.

"I used to send my videos to sir, and he would say, ‘This is great, this is good’. Later, I found out that it was basically an audition to see whether I can get an action body language, whether I can pull off action the way they want me to. I did a lot of rig work; I was put on a harness. So, it was an extensive action audition,” Wagh said.

The actor is basking in the glory of her latest film, “Munjya”, which has earned Rs 32.47 crore at the box office. Released on June 7, the movie received mixed reviews.

Wagh said the commercial success of “Munjya”, which also stars Abhay Verma, Mona Singh, Sathyaraj and Suhas Joshi, is a boost for newcomers like her.

"...I’m one film old, Abhay is new to the film, and the fact that people have given love, it will help in making films like this, believing in newer talent, and backing stories like this,” the actor, who made her acting debut with Kabir Khan's war drama series “The Forgotten Army - Azaadi Ke Liye”, said.

The big challenge for a newcomer, Wagh said, is to find the “right” opportunity to showcase their talent. "The challenge is to get the film that you wanted to (do). When you’re new, it takes that much time to prove yourself to be able to land that one film or two films that you need. But I feel films also choose actors, and the right film always lands in your lap somehow,” she said.

Citing the example of her upcoming movie, “Vedaa”, the actor said she feels blessed to have got the opportunity to play a different character and thanked director Nikkhil Advani for it. The action-drama is headlined by John Abraham.

"I want to show different facets of myself...So, I’m actively choosing films that are different from each other,” Wagh, who started her journey in the movie industry as an assistant director to Sanjay Leela Bhansali in “Bajirao Mastani” and Luv Ranjan in “Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2”, and “Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety”, said.

"Munjya” is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films.