Sheeba Chaddha notes that she has been playing a mother on screen since she was 26, the remark telling of the industry’s tendency to typecast actors. But over the past few years, a wide range of characters has been coming her way—from an antagonist in Khuda Haafiz 2 (2022) to a ghost in Phone Bhoot (2022). “In the last few years, I have played diverse characters. I am fortunate that people can imagine me in diametrically opposite roles. Some filmmakers have cast me in authoritative characters too, like the one in The Trial,” says the actor.

The Trial, created and directed by Suparn S Varma, ticked a lot of boxes for Chaddha. “I had never done a courtroom drama before. Kajol was a big reason for me to say yes. I had loved Suparn’s The Family Man 2. He is a director I hadn’t worked with before. So, it was a win-win in all [aspects].”