We all remember Shiuli from the movie October who captivated everyone’s heart with her aura on the silver screen. Banita Sandhu, who played the role, debuted in the Hindi film industry with Soorjit Sarkar’s movie. The actress was last seen in Sardar Udham with Vicky Kaushal. In an exclusive chat with Times Now, she spoke about her favourite actors, upcoming roles, and more.
With Ek ajnabee haseena playing in the background, we first saw a glimpse of Banita Sandhu as a shy girl who moves across the neighbourhood of the main lead in an ad commercial for a chewing gum brand. Soon after, the actress stepped into the Hindi film industry with Soorjit Sarkar’s film October.
Shiuli, as we remember Banita from October, is one of the most loved and cherished melancholic characters Hindi cinema has ever witnessed. To date, the actress’s mettle garners praises, and movie lovers often go back to October to marinate in the feels of the film. The actress was then seen in Sardar Udham and she stole the show with her acting craft alongside Vicky Kaushal in this freedom-fighter drama.
In an exclusive chat with Times Now, the Sardar Udham actress spoke about her film career, upcoming roles, and actors that inspire her.
Talking about a long break she took to return to Bollywood after October the actress said, “The pandemic made things difficult for our industry to complete projects. I had filmed Sardar Udham in 2019 but it didn’t release until late 2021. I was also working internationally during that time, so although it may seem like I took a long break between October and Sardar Udham, I was actually filming other projects for the US or UK during that time.”
The actress is very excited to meet her fans yet again on the big screen with interesting projects, speaking of which she said, “I have a few releases this year which I’m excited about! One is an English movie on the life of Mother Teresa and the other is a fun Bollywood film with a great ensemble cast.
“The characters I play in both projects are very different from anything I’ve ever done before and I can’t wait for audiences to see them,” she further added.
Fans still remember Banita as the ‘October girl’. Sharing if she still receives messages or fan mails for the movie, she said, “I still get messages every day about October and how it moved them deeply or changed someone’s life. It is really gratifying as an artist to be a part of a film that is so timeless that it still speaks to audiences years later.
“Banta carries big dreams in her eyes and she expressed her wish to work with many notable actors and directors in the industry.
“I would love to work with Ranveer Singh – his energy is so infectious and he’s a chameleon of an actor. I feel like I could learn a lot from him. I am also dying to work with Zoya Akhtar and Shakun Batra. I am a huge fan of both their trajectories.”
Signing off, we asked Banita to name one Bollywood actress who inspires her. Responding to the question, she said, “I really look up to Deepika – with the roles she chooses and as someone who speaks so openly about mental health. She inspires me! “
