Actor Neha Sharma says she is equal parts excited and nervous about audience's reaction to her protagonist, advocate Niharika Singh, going "dark" in the latest season of "Illegal".
The season three of the legal drama is currently streaming on JioCinema.
Sharma, known for films such as "Crook" and "Chirutha", said she is happy "Illegal" has returned with another good story. "I am forever grateful and most importantly, it's because of the audience. If they didn't love the show, there wouldn't be a season two or three... I can say that I am in my villain era, so I am looking forward to that as well and how people like it...
"We see her (Niharika) growing every season and this time, Niharika gets a little grey. We see a dark side to her which is a new thing for her. I am excited and nervous at the same time to know how people like this new Niharika Singh," the actor told PTI in an interview.
She will also play a grey part in "36 Days", an upcoming SonyLIV series, she said.
Sharma made her Hindi debut with the 2010 film "Crook", opposite Emraan Hashmi, and the actor is still most recognised by the movie's song "Mera Bina" even today. "Every medium is different but there is no one such medium that is above than the other. I started off with mainstream cinemas, so I feel that it's still remembered. I am assuming it's resonated with a lot (of people). "'Mere Bina' has been a song which people have loved and told me they have loved me in the song. 'Crook' was my first film that gave me a special place in the audiences heart and firsts are always super special."
However, the 2007 Telugu film "Chirutha", her cinema debut with "RRR" star Ram Charan, is her "most favourite". "That was my first and my introduction to the world of cinema. The love that I got from my audiences there, I can never pay that back to them. The journey been there something that I am forever grateful for," she added.
Earlier this year, there were reports that Sharma is taking the political plunge, but it turned out the actor took to the streets to campaign for her father, Congress MLA Ajit Sharma from Bihar.
Asked if she would like to follow in her father's footsteps in future, she said when the right time comes she wouldn't shy away from serving "my country and people". "I want to be there for the right reason. When it's about serving your people, it will need a lot of time and dedication from me. I will only get into it when I know I can do something for the people. They have got me here and given me so much, so when it's time to give it back to them (I will).
"I have to get somewhere in life before people can take me seriously. If I am a nobody, the no one is going to listen to what I have to say. So first, you have to become somebody for people to even take you seriously," she said.
Sharma, who keeps sharing a peek into her life with sister-actor Aisha Sharma on social media, is also looking forward to sharing screen space with her sibling. "Both of us are probably going to start with our YouTube (channel) as soon as possible, because we have been toying with the idea. We have shot a few things so we can't wait to put that out.
"As soon as 'Illegal' is done, we'll get back to filming and we'll start doing it together because what people love is just to see us together and a slice of our life, talking about our life."
They would also love to do a scripted project in future, she said. "It's time I did some things for the Telugu industry... There is something I have been toying with," she added.
