Shahana Goswami, known for her performances in acclaimed independent films such as Firaaq, Tu Hai Mera Sunday, and more recently Santosh, has also been part of several mainstream commercial projects over the years. One of the biggest films of her career was Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra One, where she played a relatively small role. In a recent conversation with Siddharth Kannan, Shahana opened up about taking on the film primarily because of Shah Rukh Khan, despite knowing that the role would not satisfy her creatively as an actor.‘I felt like I had shortchanged myself’Shahana recalled that working with Shah Rukh was a “great experience” and shared that there were some scenes that were shot by Karan Johar, even though Anubhav Sinha was the director of the film. “For me, what matters is the process of doing the film. And I had a great time on the film. We had a lot of fun. Working with Shah Rukh was a great experience. Everybody on set, Kareena and everyone else, was wonderful. One of the scenes was shot with a double unit, so Anubhav Sinha was doing the action bits, and there were some home scenes that Karan Johar had directed as well. So it was actually a lot of fun in that sense,” she said.However, she admitted that the film wasn’t creatively stimulating. Calling it a “realisation” for herself, Shahana said, “It was one of the last couple of films where I felt like I had shortchanged myself. I agreed to do something that didn’t satisfy me and that I knew wouldn’t satisfy me as an actor. So that was one of those films. At the same time, I was very happy doing it because Shah Rukh was very generous. At no point did he make it awkward. He made it very clear to me: ‘Listen, I want to work with you, and I know this is not good enough for you, but I’ll make it work.’” Shah Rukh Khan in a still from Ra.One.‘I didn’t care if Ra One was a hit or not’Speaking further about her experience of working with Shah Rukh Khan, Shahana recalled how his kindness and honesty made a lasting impression on her. “That was very sweet and very generous of him, especially towards somebody who was a completely unknown actor. There was really no need for him to do that. And therefore, I did the project knowing that I wasn’t going to be creatively satisfied with the role and everything that came with it. But I did it for the experience, of being part of that kind of film, of being part of a Shah Rukh Khan film. It was his production, you know, and that aspect of it was exciting. So I didn’t particularly care whether the film was a hit or not.”Shahana also revealed that Ra One was not the only film where she felt creatively unfulfilled. Looking back, she named a few other projects that left her feeling similarly, like Break Ke Baad and Heroine. “I would say the few films that I wasn’t as satisfied with, in that sense, were Break Ke Baad. Again, I had a great time making Break Ke Baad. I made great friends on it and we had a blast. But as an actor, I wasn’t satisfied with what I did, I mean, with the scope I had as an actor. Ra One and Heroine were the other two. These were the three films where I did small roles in big films, thinking, ‘Let’s try doing it.’ Because everyone around you says that if you do a small role in a big film, more people will know you, it will add to your profile, and it will help you get other opportunities. But after doing them, I realized that this doesn’t suit me as an actor. When I do this, I don’t feel fulfilled creatively.”Also Read | Ranveer Singh ‘ban’ an ‘ugly conspiracy’ against Dhurandhar, Aditya Dhar: Shobhaa De‘People are too attached to Kapil Sharma’s real life personality’In the same conversation, Shahana also spoke about comedian Kapil Sharma, with whom she worked in Zwigato. Directed by Nandita Das, the film cast Kapil against type and showcased a side of him that audiences had rarely seen before. While the film did not perform well commercially, Shahana believes audiences are so attached to Kapil’s real-life personality that they struggle to see him as a fictional character. “I think it’s possible that one aspect of it is people’s attachment to Kapil’s own personality. Of course, his shows have jokes, scripted segments, and all of that. But whatever interaction there is, whatever this craze for Kapil is, it is really for his personality. It’s connected to his life story and the way he brings a human touch to things. That’s what people are attached to. So when you develop that kind of attachment to someone on a personal level, as a person, perhaps you don’t want to see them as a character anymore. If a documentary were made about Kapil, it would probably be a hit.”Story continues below this ad A still from ZwigatoPraising Kapil’s dedication to acting, Shahana also highlighted his theatre background and the years of work he has put into honing his craft. “Kapil has done lot of theatre. When we were shooting and doing promotions in Amritsar, we met the teacher and the theatre group he used to work with. He had done a lot of theatre with them. He has put in an enormous amount of work into acting. People know him primarily as a comedian, and he certainly played that role in his life, but acting has been a part of his life forever.”