The Cloud Whisperer
She’s the actress-acrobat, who chats with clouds, flips dosas to a beat and has given Indian cinema one of its biggest female-led hits. Two years after The Kerala Story created waves, Adah Sharma reflects on how the film didn’t just change her career—it reaffirmed her belief in staying true to herself.
More than a hit film
When The Kerala Story released, few could’ve predicted its box office success. But Adah remembers the deeper personal shift it sparked. “It created history and became the highest female grossing film of all time… but more than everything, it cemented my belief that I can stay in my own lane and do my own thing,” she smiles.
Dancing with the dosas!
Adah has always been refreshingly different—and she wears that like a badge of honour. As a child, even breakfast became a performance. “There was a lot of spontaneous choreography. Even dosas were made on rhythm and beat and it was a theatrical performance!”
That imagination still fuels her today. “I’m pretty much a devoted enthusiast of impractical pursuits like crafting invisible castles and conversing with imaginary creatures!” she laughs.
Believing before anyone did
Before her horror hit 1920, Adah already knew she was meant to act.
“I did theatre during school days. And when I was on stage acting, I believed I was an actor.” Landing her debut film early felt like fate. “I got the role of a lifetime in my first film itself!” But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. “I’m human, I feel pathetic and miserable and cry and then move on like everyone else,” she shares candidly.
Channelling the chaos
For Adah, emotions—especially the tough ones—are tools for her craft. “I think all the negative emotions can all be used later when you need them in a scene and you get a very authentic performance,” she says.
Still feeling the impact
The Kerala Story continues to move her, even two years later. “I still get the goosebumps when people tell me that it changed their life. Personally, it made me very very grateful that I live in a country where I have freedom to roam the streets, own a cell phone and I don’t live in terror.”
Four releases & counting
The year 2024 was big for Adah—four different releases in wildly varied genres.
“I had four releases and all of them were such varied genres and roles. I’m very very fortunate.” So what’s cooking now? “I’m working in many projects which are all very different from each other. I’m happy that filmmakers see a different Adah in me.”
Clouds, cartoons & chill time
Off-screen, Adah finds comfort in her quirky rituals. “I like conversing with imaginary creatures, pretending to be a tourist in my own home, taking photos of clouds and then drawing animal shapes out of them.” To unwind from stressful shoots, she turns to dubbed shows. “I’m currently shooting for something very stressful, so I unwind by watching English or Korean shows dubbed in Hindi.” Her forever comfort binge? The Big Bang Theory.
Fit & fierce
Fitness is important, but for Adah, it’s about yoga, dance and discipline more than diets. “I feel if I allow myself to cheat in one area in life then I’m telling myself that cheating is okay,” she says, explaining why she skips cheat meals. Her one wellness must-have? “I try having sabja daily. Keeps my system cool.”
Lifestyle