Winsome ways

Despite her down-to-earth nature, there is an almost ethereal quality about her. With her gamine charm, the warm and charismatic Shernaz Pat...

Despite her down-to-earth nature, there is an almost ethereal quality about her. With her gamine charm, the warm and charismatic Shernaz Patel seems untouched by the brittleness and artifice so endemic to the glamour world that she is a part of.

Despite a mega serial like Khandaan and the much-acclaimed Mahesh Bhatt telefilm, Janam, to her credit, Shernaz remains a theatre person.

Gravitating towards the stage very early in life was, in fact, a natural move, with both her parents being theatre persons themselves. 8220;I received my theatre training early 8211; on school and college stages 8211; and was still in college when I did Janam.8221; The one-time experience was, however, enough for her to decide that her strength lay in theatre. 8220;Film-making is a different technique altogether, and though I have nothing against the medium, I just felt that theatre suited me better.8221;

What followed was a series of plays 15 to date with the brilliant Love Letters being the closest to her heart. 8220;It8217;s so beautifully scripted, and I had the opportunity to actually live a life 8211; from eight to 60 years of age. I have been very lucky to get a lot of great plays like The Diary of Anne Frank, Six Degrees of Separation and Letters To My Daughter, where I played Indira Gandhi.8221;

Does she find a lot of change in the current lot of serials as compared to the Khandaan days? 8220;Tremendous. Khandaan was made on a lavish scale, with a lot of stress on quality. Now serials are more or less churned out, with quantity replacing quality.8221;

Shernaz has her own television company 8211; Aries Films 8211; that makes documentaries and corporate films. Incidentally, the couple of years when she seemed to have done the disappearing act were actually spent by her at UTV. 8220;It took up all my time. So I took a break from theatre. Soon, I got my priorities right 8211; I gave up the job and returned to the stage. Now I have my own company, which means I can regulate my hours and make time for theatre as required.8221;

Returning to the stage with Love Letters, Shernaz discovered a welcome change in theatre. 8220;There has been a lot of growth, especially in the realm of experimental theatre. Twelve years ago, we couldn8217;t have staged more than five shows of a play like Six Degrees of Separation, which is being readily accepted today. What has not changed is the paucity of Indian writing in English theatre, lack of good theatres in Mumbai and the fact that you still cannot survive on theatre alone.8221;

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Incidentally, Shernaz is not exactly a stranger to Pune, having done a two-month German language course at the Max Mueller Bhavan here. 8220;I love Pune. It8217;s a perfect blend of a city and a town.8221;

Venturing into her personal life, you find that Shernaz is 34 and unmarried. 8220;And I am not seeing anyone either,8221; she adds before you can ask her the obvious. Is she bent on remaining single? 8220;Oh no, I would love to get married.8221; And what are the qualities she is looking for in a match? 8220;Intelligence and a sense of humour 8211; they are indispensable,8221; smiles the Scorpio woman without the sting.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More