She did a splendid job as Zoya, the self-immersed, highly-in-love NRI millennial in the web series Flesh, who got trafficked for sex trade by her boyfriend. And recently, she won hearts recently with her debut performance in Salman Khan and Ayush Sharma starter action thriller Antim. We are talking about the 22-year-old bundle of talent, Mahima Makwana.
The Mumbai girl, who debuted as a child artiste in television series Miley Jab Hum Tum and Balika Vadhu, is a rank outsider and never had the privilege of choosing a dream debut. Instead, she went through countless auditions before bagging this role and feels it's always better to make one's presence felt on screen, rather than wait for a meaty role.
"I am extremely grateful for all the appreciation since I had no expectation. Since the movie revolves around Ayush and Salman, there was limited scope for me and hence I tried to own my character in the truest sense and left no stone unturned to look credible. Despite being a male-centric film, my role had been beautifully etched out and she had a voice of her own which caught my attention and got me invested in it Also, I feel lucky to debut at a time when we are releasing films to encourage people back to the theatres where cinema really belongs," tells Mahima.
Going forward, how are you going to choose projects?
Right now, since it's my growing phase, I have no set criteria or parameters. I want to explore genres and discover what suits me and what brings out the best in me as an artiste and unless I experiment and try out everything I won't be able to find out what I am good at. Said that I am open to interesting new-age content by well-known filmmakers and I also want to explore the web and be a part of well-written shows since the web offers such huge scope to newcomers like us.
What's your style of acting?
Since I started acting at a very young age I never had the time to attend acting workshops or get proper training. I learnt on the job and picked up the nuances while performing and I owe it to my experience in the television industry, which has contributed immensely to my acting skills. But as an actor, I think getting out of the comfort zone and trying out new and challenging parts, is what makes you more mature.
As a millennial audience, what kind of content are you personally drawn to?
I love watching dramas and immensely enjoyed watching Pataal Lok, and This is Us. Also, I like light and funny stuff like Schitt's Creek.
Any filmmakers you dream of working with?
The list is really long and includes Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Shoojit Sircar, Vishal Bharadwaj, Rajkumar Hirani among others.
How do you define beauty?
I think beauty lies within. No matter how best your hair and make-up is or how expensive your outfit is, it's what you think of yourself from the inside that makes you look good from the outside. Many of us tend to be harsh on ourselves and that's not the right thing to do. One must love oneself to glow from within.