Dubai-based Malayalam actress Asha Sharath, who was bestowed the UAE golden visa on September 22, describes it as an ‘incredible honour’ and the ultimate token of acceptance by a country which is home to her for the last 27 years.
“It was a proud moment of my life. 27 years ago, I got married and came here as a daughter-in-law, but this nation has treated me like family and as its own daughter. I have got incredible support from the UAE all these years,” said Sharath in an interview with Gulf News.
The acclaimed Indian actress and award-winning dancer, who is best known for her role as a fierce cop in the Mohanlal-led blockbuster ‘Drishyam’ franchise, says the UAE provided her the much-needed encouragement for bolstering Indian cultural dance forms.
“I have my own dance academy here and this is one of the most investor and entrepreneur-friendly nations in the world. The kind of support the UAE gives us is incredible. Even during the pandemic, I conducted online dance lessons right here from the UAE and have now resumed face-to-face lessons. We could survive the pandemic thanks to their support,” said Sharath.
With this UAE golden visa honour, Sharath joins Malayalam actors including Mohanlal, Prithviraj, Tovino Thomas, and Mammootty who have also been bestowed a ten-year permit to this country.
Sharath's future plans:
Sharath, an award-winning classical Indian dancer, is currently working on the Kannada and Tamil re-makes of thriller ‘Drishyam 2’. But her mind is firmly on developing the Indian classical cultural scene in the UAE.
“Now with the UAE golden visa, I hope to start my own cultural university for Gulf-based students who wish to pursue arts and other dance forms. I want to launch a full-fledged cultural college where we offer all kinds of Indian art forms for those living in the Gulf and the UAE golden visa is such an encouragement. This is the ultimate recognition,” added Sharath.
The actress, who is still riding high after the success of ‘Drishyam 2’, also drops a hint that the third chapter of the thriller may soon be in the offing. 'Drishyam 2', a tale of a middle-aged man (Mohanlal) protecting his daughter to cover up a crime, was a runaway hit in Malayalam.
“When we make a sequel to an original, we are always doubtful whether it will be as good as the original. But with ‘Drishyam 2’, we had no such worries after reading the script. I think our director [Jeetu Joseph] has Drishyam 3 in mind,” said Sharath.
