MUMBAI:The journey from a small village to a city like Mumbai is seldom easy. Actor Shiva Shukla reached Mumbai but did not know where he would live and how he would work. However, his intentions were strong and he was passionate about making his acting dream come true.
When Shukla, who hails from the Phaphund of Auraiya district in Uttar Pradesh, expressed his desire to become an actor, people around didn’t take him seriously. Seen as the protagonist's best friend in the web-film 'Sitapur: The City of Gangsters', Shukla recalls that he didn't even have a TV at home and watched the serial on a black and white set at a friend's house.
He recounts, “During my school days, I participated in a few plays. After passing Inter I joined theatre. A year later my father passed away and that incident made me more determined to prove myself. Initially I started doing mimicry and went to different places in the state for theatre. So, I reached Kanpur, Lucknow, Delhi and finally Mumbai. I got a chance to learn how to live life from theatre."
In 2014, Shukla started his career as a stage actor. In addition to working backstage and composing and directing music, he also worked as an assistant director. In 2017, he moved to Bhartendu Natya academy in Lucknow and Delhi for acting workshops. He played important roles in plays like 'Raja Harishchandra,' 'Ek Prayas,' 'Heritage,' 'Death of a Salesman,' 'A Few Good Men,' 'Tender of the Taj Mahal’, 'The Dark Ages’, "We Are Like This Only". In 2018, he was awarded by the BNA Culture Department, UP for his work in the play 'We Are Like This Only'.
In 2020, he moved to Mumbai, but Shukla's first break was in a 2018 short film called 'Sorry Mom', which dealt with the subject of drug addiction. 'Sorry Mom' was widely displayed at various rehabilitation centres across the country. “The film helped me get some recognition early in my career, and very soon I started getting offers in film and television,” recalls Shukla.
He subsequently got the opportunity to work with veteran actor and NSD alumnus Govind Namdev in the youth centric film 'Rock Band' produced under the banner of Gulshan Films. The first phase of this film has been shot in Etawah, while the second phase in Lucknow. But later the film was shelved.
"It's always disappointing when your hard work doesn't see the light of day. But one must see the bright side. After seeing many hardships, today I want to fulfil my dream and work with people like Govind Namdev ji. I feel fortunate. The web has opened up new avenues for young artistes,” says Shukla.
He is currently working With Writer and Director Sagar Pathak known for motivational Bollywood biopic "Shunya Se Shikhar Tak". 'Katong Baba Katong', which is based on the great revolutionary tribal leader Birsa Munda and the indomitable courage of 'Gaya Munda' against Christian missionaries and the oppressive British army.
Currently, the script work is in the final stages, the film is being made in multiple languages and star cast. The shooting of the film will start in August. The film also stars Brijendra Kala and Govind Namdev.