Meerut Girl Astha Mittal makes her way into Sanjay Leela Bhanshali’s Heeramandi
Born in Meerut, Astha Mittal hits a jackpot bagging the role of Huma/Humaria in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi. A seasoned theatre artiste, Astha essay’s Fareedan’s (Sonakshi Sinha’s) compatriot Huma with ease. Her character helps pushing the plot forward with a pivotal development in this eight-episodes show and renders a strong support system to Sonakshi’s Fareedan. Heeramandi also mark’s Astha screen debut.
Working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali is any actor’s dream come true, let alone a debutant. Imagining the first day of meeting SLB on his set was something she had dreamt for long. When the day finally arrived, she was taken with her make up hair team to the set for a pre-approval.
Speaking about the moment, an excited Astha quipped, “I was off course nervous and meeting the master craftsman on his turf felt surreal. What followed was an utter surprise. I was a bit sheepish and hoped for his approval on my look and rehearsing my lines in my head. Pat came sir’s response. He asked the makeup artist to remove all her make up saying let her eyes speak and hence Huma sported a no makeup look in the whole series”.
She added, “It still feels unreal for me that I have actually been a part of a Sanjay Leela Bhansali magnum opus and that too without makeup (chuckles). He makes all his actors feel beautiful from within and brings out the very best in everyone. So, when he said go without makeup I was thrilled, I think in a way it fanned the theatre artist within me who is used to ground realities. Such a dichotomy but so fulfilling”.
Her theatre background also helped her shoulder the role with ease and authenticity. She secured the role in Heeramandi with a self-test requested by Shruti Mahajan’s team and the rest is history. Grateful for the support and guidance provided during the audition process, Astha poured her heart into portraying Huma authentically. She said, “Each moment on set was infused with passion and creativity, and I am immensely grateful for the opportunity. To have been guided by such a visionary filmmaker right at the outset of my cinematic journey is nothing short of a blessing.
Speaking of her time spent in UP and Meerut she fondly recalls, “Meerut ki chaat and my parental home is what takes her back to Meerut, I’m a true UPwali at heart I love my tikkis and paani batashas. I would love to take my friends in Mumbai to Meerut and get them to try this fare, ufff yummy”.
On set, Astha shared most of her screen time with Sonakshi Sinha. “She is truly Sona. A fabulous person and a nuanced actor”. Looking ahead, Astha is gearing up for a role as a lawyer in an upcoming web series and auditioning for a wide range of roles as Heeramandi has given her a very strong foot in the dynamic world of Bollywood.