#KetchupTalks: Singer turned actress, Amika Shail talks about Mirzapur 2, Laxmmi and more

Smrithi Mohan

10 Nov 2020 00:00 IST

Updated On 10 Nov 2020 09:03 IST

New Update

Take a look at what Amika Shail shared regarding her journey so far and being a part of the Mirzapur 2, Laxmmi and more.

There are a number of new talents who have impressed us with their incredible talent and contribution to the entertainment industry in the past year. The singer turned actress, Amika Shail is one of them who has made a notable presence with her latest gig in the fan favourite web-series, Mirzapur 2. She essays the character of a singer and is a part of one of the most important scenes of the show.

Before this, Amika was seen in Zee5 and AltBalaji's superhit franchise, Gandi Baat 5. Not many people know that Amika had humble beginnings when she was a part of the show 'Little Champs' at the age of 9. Amika is a 'Sangeet Visharad' having completed her post-graduation in music. Amika has been a part of television series like ‘Madam Sir’, ‘Laal Ishq’, ‘Shaadi Ke Siyape’ ‘Gunah’, ‘Abhay’, 'Balveer Returns', 'Divya Drushti', 'Udaan', etc. We had the opportunity to chat with the artists herself and here's all she had to share about her life as an actress.

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Repeat after me : I AM LIMITLESS...

A post shared by Amika Shail (@amikashail) on Oct 4, 2020 at 9:13pm PDT

Take a look at what Amika Shail had to share:

1. How did lockdown treat you? Did you discover any hidden talents during this period?

"I did not have a really great time during the lockdown. Since I like to keep myself busy with work, this whole situation of sitting at home and not being able to work the way I want; made the lockdown really dull for me. It was a difficult phase for everybody.

But adversities always teach you something and this lockdown helped me bring out my cooking skills. I never had stepped in the kitchen before this. But in this lockdown period, I discovered my liking for it and now I have become an expert in making a lot of dishes. I did a lot of experiments with my cooking skills by watching youtube videos."

2. How has your journey been so far?

"I would say that I had an amazing journey so far. I was more into singing since I am a professional singer. It has been more than 7-8 years that I am into singing. I have sung for movies, I have sung for music albums, I have released my own music albums as well. a lot of them. I have my own YouTube channel which has like 80k + subscribers. So I was fully into singing and then acting happened accidentally. Now it has been 2 years that I am into acting. The acting journey began with a musical show. They needed a singer-actor for that show and they approached me. I went for an audition but did not get selected then. It was also because I was not ready as an actor at that time. But yes this was my first baby step into the world of acting and then I groomed myself for it."

3. What made you add acting to your career?

"As I said, acting happened accidentally to me. I can call it my destiny which took me towards acting. I had never even imagined in the wildest of my dreams that I will become an actor someday. As a child I never performed in front of a mirror There was no acting bug in me. But it happened as it was destined to be and now I am enjoying every bit of being an actor. Also, the kind of work that I have been part of is really amazing and the acting journey has been fabulous till now."

4. Mirzapur, Laxmmi, Gandi Baat are all part of different genres. What kind of roles do you enjoy the most?

"Yes, the kind of characters that I play in Mirzapur, Laxxmi, and Gandi Baat 5 are all very different from each other. As an actor, I always want to play diverse characters on the screen. I don't wish to be typecast into playing just one type of role. Donning different kinds of roles helps me challenge my limitations as an actor. But if I have to select one role then I will select a role like the one I played in Gandi Baat I loved playing that character on screen, It has been my best role so far. I enjoyed it to my fullest and it was as if I was living that character while shooting for Gandii Baat 5 I have received a lot of appreciation from all the walks for my acting in this web series. I am on cloud 9. This web series is also special to me since I have recorded the title track of Gandii Baat So it was like a dream come true as I always wanted to sing and act in a series together."

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Reposted from @yehhaimirzapur English mein kahe toh launch ne helter skelter kardiya pura bazaar. 💥 #MirzapurOnPrime

A post shared by Amika Shail (@amikashail) on Oct 24, 2020 at 10:38pm PDT

5. How does it feel to be associated with a popular web series like Mirzapur?

"It feels great to be associated with the Mirzapur team. Being a part of the show was totally unexpected for me. They were looking out for a singer-actor that had a particular role. Somebody who could act as a Bar singer. Playing a singer on screen comes naturally to somebody who has been a singer themself. The audition for Mirzapur was fantastic. I will always remember it. I performed on Beedi Jalaile Jigar Se Piya and the team sitting in the audition instantly liked it. I was told that I will have to play a similar role on screen as well. So, everything that I did in the audition was replicated on the screen. I believe that Mirzapur was destined to happen as I got a selection call almost 6 -7 months after the auditions."

6. Mirzapur is known for its memes. Which is your favourite meme related to the show?

"All the dialogues in the series are very well penned down, they are a rage amongst youngsters. It's like all of them can be converted into memes. Great dialogues are one USP of this series. If I have to select one dialogue it would be Priyanshu Painyuli saying - 'Yeh bhi theek hai'"

7. How did your first gig as an actor happen?

"As I have mentioned, I never thought of being an actor. Singing was always my thing. I started singing at a very small age and since then I always thought of becoming a professional singer. Acting just happened luckily to me. I was approached for a musical show which needed a person who was both a singer and an actor. Although I did not get selected for that; it opened the doors to the world of acting for me. My first show as an actor was Udaan on Colors TV. I never auditioned for this show in specific. I auditioned for the production house though and months later I was selected for this show basis that audition. Since then there has never been a halt and I have been a part of a lot of TV shows. My last show on TV was Vayu Pari on Sab TV. Same goes for web series. They just came to me one after the other and then I was also lucky enough to be a part of Laxmmi along with Akshay Kumar and Kiara Advani. When it comes to television I have also been a part of a lot of ad films."

8. Did you get a chance to share the screen with Akshay Kumar in the film? If yes, how was the whole experience?

"Yes, I have shared the screen with Akshay Kumar in the movie. The complete sequence that I shot with Akshay sir is memorable. I play the role of his brother's girlfriend. I am completely smitten by the kind of person Akshay Kumar is. What could have been better than sharing the screen space with one of the most loved superstars of the Hindi Film Industry? That too in my first ever feature film itself. I am super excited about it. I was looking forward to watching it on the silver screen though."

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🦋

A post shared by Amika Shail (@amikashail) on Oct 18, 2020 at 4:14am PDT

Here's how she replied to our Quick five:

Your all-time favourite song?

"Bahara Bahara from I Hate Love Stories."

One superpower that you would love to have?

"To be able to reach any place on a snap of your finger."

One celebrity you would love to work with?

"I am a big fan of Hritik Roshan and I would definitely love to work with him."

The favourite part of your day?

"The favourite part of my day is when I am at the Gym."

One app that you spend the most time on?

"I love spending time on Instagram."

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जिक्र उसी की होती है जिसकी फ़िक्र होती है I . Click @arnob_ghosh_

A post shared by Amika Shail (@amikashail) on Sep 26, 2020 at 2:33am PDT

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