The beautiful actress who is known for her dark expressions on screen is a fun loving person in real life. [break] She is a complete contrast to what she appears like on screen. Born in Kathmandu, the dancing diva of Nepal, 45, started her career while she was only nine years old.
Three decades down the line, Sharma says she is completely satisfied to have given all what she has contributed to the industry so far.
Unlike many other actors of her time who keep on narrating how they struggled day and night to become an actor, Sharma, brought up in a middle class family, never had to face any big hurdles while heading to her journey of becoming an actor.
Dance came to her instinctively and she passionately learnt dancing since she was only nine.
“I still remember that day when I had to perform for the late King Birendra on his birthday. It was a panchakanya dance and I had to perform in a music composition of Gopal Yonzan. It was after that performance than many noticed me as a promising dancer. I was only nine,” she had a big smile on her face while she sat to recall the yesteryears at her residence in Dhobighat.
A few years later, director Chetan Karki was making a feature film “Biswas” and he needed somebody to play the role of a dance teacher. Nobody else could have done the role more beautifully than Mithila Sharma. That three-minute performance in the film opened doors to Sharma to the film industry.
A graduate in home science and dance, Sharma has played in more than a hundred films, more than a dozen serials, has done musical dramas and has mesmerized many through her dance in dozens of stage shows.
Her work in films like “Mukundo”, “Sukha Dukha”, “Didi”, “Muna Madan”, “Basai” and “Afno Manchhe” are still well received and these are the films Sharma says are close to her heart.
While almost all in the film industry are in a rat race to get featured in lead roles, there are very few who understand the real importance of character roles and are least interested in doing commercial roles. One is Mithila Sharma.
“From the very beginning of my career, I always said no to commercial lead roles. I’m fine playing characters,” she enunciated confidently.
“It’s sad but true that people in Nepal have no respect for character roles because they don’t understand it. Many think that the ones who don’t get to play in the lead roles land up doing characters. I feel pity on them who think this way,” added Sharma boldly.
Don’t I look glamorous? She questioned and answered herself that glamour is in the eyes, not in thighs and cleavages.
She made it loud and clear, “Heroines are often considered as marketing gimmicks to popularize cinema. That’s why you see very less of acting and more of skin display.”
Sharma, who strongly believes that glamour is an aesthetic beauty of a person and is spiritual, has no intention to change herself for anybody.
“I dance for myself. It’s like meditating to me. I don’t want to sell my creativity for cheap publicity. I’m absolutely happy doing character roles,” the flamboyant actress made it clear.
Also a powerful theater actress, Sharma has acted in dozens of musicals and other plays. Starting from stage shows to theater and to mainstream Nepali cinemas, today all these three professions are equally dear to her.
“I live to dance and act,” she explained. “Please don’t ask me to pick one between these as all of these genres of art are inseparable to me.”
While many actors of the Nepali film fraternity are often complaining about their financial and social security, Sharma is one of those few actors in Nepal who has nothing to complain about.
She said, “I know this profession isn’t as lucrative as other professions, which guarantees you your financial security in your old age. Acting is bringing out your creativity. And one mustn’t expect much while bringing out your innovations. Besides, all of us are aware that acting doesn’t provide us pension for our old age and still we’re here by our choice. We shouldn’t be complaining.”
“If you start spending Rs 50,000 while you earn only 5,000, it’s you who will suffer in the end,” she elaborated.
Sharma closes the doors for those producers and filmmaker who fail to please her through the script and the screenplay. She will not accept any amount of money until she is convinced of her character. In fact, she would rather stay home than doing films that lack substance and weight.
“I’ve earned so much from the industry. I’ll never be able to pay back for the respect and love people have showered on me. I’m always thankful to this industry. From a three-minute performance in “Biswas” to so many films today, I’ve really learnt a lot. Now it’s payback time. The only way I can do this is by performing more. I’ll never give up,” the actress of so many characters concluded happily.
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