Helly Shah: I loved the jhumkas and bags in Janpath

Helly Shah: I loved the jhumkas and bags in Janpath

TV actress Helly Shah, who was in Delhi recently to promote her upcoming show 'Sufiyana Pyaar Mera', said that the show gave her an opportunity to visit and explore Delhi for the first time. The show has been shot at various spots in Delhi including Qutub Minar, Safdarjung Railway Station and Humayun’s Tomb. “I had heard a lot about Dilli ka khana so when I visited the city for the first time (in December last year), I tried a lot of street food. From pani puri, which is called gol gappa here (laughs), to the street chowmein, I gorged on everything I could find,” said the 23-year-old actress, adding “Dilli ka khana toh sabko pata hi hai kaisa kamaal hota hai.”

Helly also visited Janpath for some street shopping. “I fell in love with the jhumkas and colourful bags that were available in Janpath. I shopped so much that our bags were full and our pockets were empty!” she told us.

The 'Swaragini' actress, who was last seen in 'Devanshi' (2017), will be seen on television in a lead role after two years. “I signed 'Sufiyana...' last year but it took some time for it to go on floors. But I am happy with the response I am getting from people as the promos are out,” said Helly. The actress added that after signing the show, she got an offer from Bollywood, which she had to refuse because of her commitment to the show. “After signing 'Sufiyana...', I was offered a Bollywood film. But I decided to let go of it because I had already committed to the show,”she said.

This is the first time that Helly will be playing a double role on screen. “I am playing the dual role of Saltanat and Kainaat in the show which has been very challenging as I had to make both characters look different from each other. Apart from the double role, since the show is based on Muslim characters, I also had to take workshops to refine my Hindi with the Urdu nuances,” she said.

Helly, who started her TV career as a child artiste at the age of 14, has been in the industry for almost a decade. Talking about the evolution of the TV industry, she said, “The industry needs to change a little now. I think hum kabhi kabhi bahut zyada drama dikha dete hain. We should evolve with time and make subtle shows. On the other hand, I think we only show what the audience wants to see so if the audience adapts to some less drama, we may have more subtle shows too.”