What's empowerment for Anushka Sharma? The fact that she became a producer at 25

The term empowerment holds a different meaning for different people. For Anushka Sharma — who acted in as well as produced her Phillauri — it’s about liberation. “For me, empowerment is the fact that I’m a young producer who started production at the age of 25. Mere liye bahut pride ki baat hai that I make films because aisa iss age mein kisi ne nahi kiya hai (I’m proud of achieving what no one else has so early in life),” says the 28-year-old, who recently visited Delhi.

A gender-neutral work environment plays a big role in this, adds Anushka: “It is important to work in a non-judgmental culture where you are known for your abilities irrespective of your gender.”

Good at performing under pressure, Anushka is always up for taking on more and more responsibilities. “My focus improves when there are more responsibilities on me. It’s a different experience to be a movie’s actor and producer because you are associated with every aspect of the project, right from its ideation. There are challenges, but you overcome them with time. I enjoy the process,” says the actor, who’s content with how her Bollywood career panned out. Perhaps “it was destined”, says Anushka. “I never thought of becoming an actor. I just gave a few auditions while pursuing my modeling career, but it wasn’t something I took seriously.”

The actor is often in the news for her relationship with cricketer Virat Kohli, but she doesn’t like to talk about it in public, and is glad that her work is taking precedence. “People don’t ask me about my personal life anymore. I’ve done more than 500 interviews this month, but none was about my personal life. There’s enough that I’m offering professionally, ki ab logon ko zarurat nahi lagti,” says Anushka.

Sharma also feels a gender neutral work environment plays a big role in a professional’s life. She says, “It is important to work in a non-judgmental culture where you are known for your abilities irrespective of your gender.”