While most actors on television face the prejudice of working on the small screen, Sheen Dass confesses she has never experienced it. That could be because she has dabbled in movies, web shows, and television — Piyaa Albela (2017), Shaadi Ke Siyape (2019), and Tanaav (2022), among others.
Dass is clear that working on television involves long hours — sometimes well beyond the usual 12. “Whether you’re doing TV, OTT or movies, acting-wise, you are anyway going to put in the same effort and emotions. The shooting techniques may differ. But when you have to put a fresh episode out every day, it’s not alien to work more than 12 hours. Once, I was told not to mention that I have done TV, but I don’t hide it because I’ve only learned [from the medium]. TV is a beautiful medium, and I am open about every piece of work that I’ve done,” says Dass, who now attempts her first fantasy fiction show, Aami Dakini, where she plays the titular character.
Sheen Dass
Aami Dakini is a love saga that transcends time and lifetimes. Dakini, a ghost, yearns for the love that was once hers and returns across eras to reclaim it. “She was Madhumati before she died, a beautiful woman who does everything for love. But things change when she is betrayed by her love. What keeps her going despite the suffering is her will to reunite with her love, even after death,” Dass explains. Although the story echoes the idea that all is fair in love, Dass disagrees. “For me, love is all about responsibility. When doing something for someone is organic, that is love.”
Following the TV norm, Aami Dakini underwent narrative changes even before airing. “The initial brief was different when I auditioned. They’ve now made it more interesting, layered, and darkened the character arc, which made it more fascinating,” she adds. On doing fantasy, Dass laughs off the bizarre tropes. “When you are doing it, you don’t see the outcome. It’s about trusting your director, like on any set — Bollywood or Hollywood. Sometimes it turns out funny, but it’s fantasy, not supposed to be believable. But you have to be convinced, or you can’t convince the audience.”
