MUMBAI: Actress Megha Sharma who has been part of shows like Padya Store, Baal Krishna and Mahakali-Anth Hi Aarambh Hai, says that a negative character is great when it comes to exploring your versatility as an actor. She adds that you can have varying screen time everyday in a daily soap, but you need to be prepared well.

“As an actor, there are days when I have quite a bit to say on camera, some days when I have a lot, and other times when I have nothing for days. I think one should definitely be prepared, but it's very difficult to stay prepared if this stretches on for a number of days. That's not easy because, as an actor, your job is to stay in character. If you want to explore and keep your character on track, you have to express yourself. When that doesn't happen for a long time, it becomes really frustrating,” she says.

She adds, “Long dialogues can be convenient, and shorter ones with many takes can also work. It all comes back to the scene we're performing.” Meanwhile, she says that playing negative roles on TV or films are an amazing opportunity for all actors. “Negative characters have more variations than positive ones. As a positive character, you have just one shade to portray. But with a negative character, you have a lot more to do. You can play with your character, switching between positive and negative, pretending, or faking. So, definitely, as a negative character, you have a lot more variations to portray,” she says.

She adds, “I believe that no matter what character you're playing, if you're portraying a positive role, people will love you, which means you're successful in your portrayal. And if you're playing a negative character and people start sending hate messages or comments, that's also a sign of success. You're doing your job well by making people feel strongly about your character, even if it's negative. So, in a way, receiving hate can also be a measure of success in acting.”

However, whether negative or positive, your performance must be good, she says. “As an actor, I believe that regardless of the character or role I'm given, it's my job to perform it to the best of my ability. Challenges are a part of the job, and it's up to me to give my best and tackle those challenges head-on.” She adds, “It's really important for me as an actor for my character to evolve. When you've fully evolved within a show, even if you don't know the next dialogues or storyline, you're still mentally and physically prepared as your character. You understand where the story is headed and you're emotionally connected. As an actor, you evolve by loving your character, enjoying the show, and getting opportunities to grow through the writing. It's just a matter of time and chances to fully evolve your character, and that progress itself is a beautiful thing.”