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EXCLUSIVE: Shikha Malhotra recalls auditioning for Parineeti Chopra's Chamkila; talks about paralysis recovery
Shikha Malhotra, known for her role in Fan, sat for an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla and recalled auditioning for Parineeti Chopra's Chamkila. She also talked about recovering from brain stroke.
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Shikha Malhotra sat for an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla
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The actress opened up about her recovery from brain stroke and paralysis
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She also revealed auditioning for Imtiaz Ali's movie Chamkila
Shikha Malhotra is recognized for her role in Shah Rukh Khan's film Fan and her collaboration with Sanjay Mishra in the 2020 movie Kaanchli. The up-and-coming actress holds a degree in nursing which she put to use by working on the frontline during the Covid-19 pandemic. A few months back, she garnered attention by sharing images showcasing her transformation after suffering a brain stroke. Shikha sat for an exclusive interview with Pinkvilla, during which she unveiled her inspiring path to recovery and discussed her return to the acting scene.
Shikha Malhotra opens up about recovering from brain stroke and paralysis
While speaking to Pinkvilla, Shikha disclosed that she had worked in the Covid ICU for over an year during the pandemic. Post that, she contracted the virus herself and was hospitalized for approximately a month. Shikha discussed her experience of enduring a brain stroke and subsequent right side paralysis, shedding light on her recovery process. She said, “I stayed paralyzed for a long time. After I got discharged I wasn’t able to walk properly. I used to get up every morning, hold the walls and try to walk. Due to steroids, my weight was constantly increasing, My mother, who is a retired nurse, was taking care of me. It was a whole lot of struggle to become normal after paralysis. I started doing yoga, Kathak, and classical singing. It used to hurt a lot but I thought not to give up.”
Shikha Malhotra auditioned for Imtiaz Ali’s Chamkila starring Parineeti Chopra
The actress recounted that after her recovery, she attempted to reenter the film industry. She recalled an incident where she auditioned for a role in Imtiaz Ali’s film Chamkila featuring Parineeti Chopra and Diljit Dosanjh. “Around one year later when I recovered, I decided to return to acting. I was feeling so down because a lead actor's frame is very cliche. I had just recovered and I felt like I had to climb another mountain. I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra for an audition. He told me there was a film, it was a primary character who had a Punjabi background. I was very excited. When I reached there, I got to know it was an Imtiaz Ali film called Chamkila, and I was called for the role of the big sister to the lead character. When I saw my audition, I looked so old. I immediately asked them to delete it. They said that I did good but I wanted them to delete it. I told them, ‘I am very young. I may not look like it.’ This was in mid 2022 and then I decided to stop giving auditions and I wanted to stay away,” shared Shikha. She mentioned how her mother motivated her to work on herself when she thought she would have to quit the acting profession. The actress then put in effort to regain her physical fitness.
Shikha Malhotra on experience of working on the frontline during pandemic
The young star also revealed why she chose to work on the frontline during the pandemic. She said, “I wanted to be the one from my fraternity to join the doctors and nurses. Normally also in my society or on sets, I give injections to my director, do their dressing. I don’t take money because it is ‘seva’ from my side. By profession I am an actor now, I don’t use nursing as a salaried job. I saw my mother do this all my childhood so I thought this was good to help others. Initially I thought maybe I wasted my 4-4.5 years (studying) but during covid I realized I was meant for something special.”
Talking about her learnings from the time, Shikha expressed, “The best learning was that humanity is the only religion. That time everyone was scared and needed to hold each other’s hand. Second was patience is the key, and third, it’s very important to save money.” She wants to carry these lessons with herself as she returns to the entertainment industry.
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