Meet Sparsh Shrivastava, who shocked many with his effortless performance in ‘Laapataa Ladies’. The actor struggled his way out for years to carve a path for himself in the industry.

Kiran Rao’s directorial, Laapataa Ladies is garnering huge attention after Netflix premiered the film on April 26, 2024. Produced by Aamir Khan, the film portrays a heart-wrenching tale of empowerment and self-discovery. The narrative, which focuses on two young brides who lost themselves during a train ride, deals with the societal constraints on women and encourages them to break free.

Ace director, Kiran Rao’s masterpiece ignites the spirit of womanhood and conveys the message of resilience and courage. Each character in Laapataa Ladies has put their heart and soul into making the film a huge success. It stars Nitanshi Goel, Pratibha Ranta, Sparsh Shrivastava, Chhaya Kadam and Ravi Kishan in titular roles.

Though every artist outshined in the film, Sparsh Shrivastava turned out to be the surprise element. It took Sparsh ten years to get noticed in the industry. Let us take a look at his professional and personal journey.

Sparsh Shrivastava’s beginning as a child actor

Born in Rajakheda, Rajasthan, Sparsh Shrivastava began his career as a dancer when he participated in the reality show, Chak Dhoom Dhoom in 2010. Sparsh was just 11 years old when he travelled to Mumbai to participate in the dance reality show. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Sparsh spoke about his initial phase and said:

“My father and brother stayed back in Agra, and I was in Mumbai with my mother. Then I got another dance-based show Shake It Up Mumbai. I accidentally became an actor but bit by bit started to love the art. Many think that I am a newcomer in the industry and its okay as I was learning in all these years.”

Sparsh Shrivastava was also seen in the show, Ballika Vadhu, where he played the role of ‘Kundan’. The actor was also seen in shows like Fear Files and Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Although Sparsh was getting roles in many shows, he didn’t get any lead roles and decided to head back to Agra.

A year later, Sparsh came back to Mumbai and experimented with different roles. The year 2020 changed his life forever, as he was selected for the crime-based web series, Jamtara-Sabka Number Ayega. Sparsh, who played Sunny in the show, was highly applauded for his effortless acting.

Sparsh Shrivastava once asked the director to give him anaesthesia

It was after 10 years that Sparsh Shrivastava got recognition in the industry with his show, Jamtara. His character, ‘Sunny’, was paralyzed in season 2, and to get into the character, he asked the director to give him anaesthesia. Elaborating on the same in an interview, Sunny shared:

“We worked a lot on our body language. Sunny is paralysed from one leg so I had to forget I have a leg. It was a challenge for me. I asked our director to give me anesthesia so I could feel my character. It was a tough task to achieve that body language.”

Sparsh Shrivastava dismissed Aamir Khan’s call as spam

After the success of Jamtara: Sabka Number Ayega, Aamir Khan reached out to Sparsh to praise his performance in the series. However, to his surprise, Sparsh dismissed his call as spam. Sharing the story behind the same, Sparsh revealed:

“Then I asked Sir to send me a voice note to make it believable. Then he said he would video call me in a while. When he called, I was covering the camera with my hand. I was still under the impression that someone was fooling me. But then I saw, he was sitting right under a good light, his skin was glowing, he was wearing a cream shirt, and I got excited.”

Sparsh Shrivastava’s role in ‘Laapataa Ladies’

Sparsh Shrivastava auditioned for his role in Laapataa Ladies and was selected. The actor who played the role of ‘Deepak’ in the film prepared a lot and learnt the nuances of a small-town boy. His portrayal of Deepak in the film was so pure that Aamir Khan was shocked. In a conversation with Netflix India, Aamir Khan spoke about Deepak’s heartmelting performance and said:

“I could see the others’ performance on paper itself. But Sparsh’s character wasn’t written so clearly on paper. He had nothing to do; he was just panicking and running around. But when I saw him enact it, I was bowled over.”

When Sparsh Shrivastava filed a complaint against his father

In 2017, reports were rife that Sparsh Shrivastava filed a complaint against his father for indulging in debauchery. He also sought security for his mother, Ragini Shrivastava. His mother had also accused her husband, Dinesh Shrivastava of ceasing Rs. 14 lakhs and had also threatened to kill him. On the other hand, Sparsh’s father rubbished the reports and claimed that it was merely a family feud and that he was unnecessarily dragged into it.

After years of struggle, Sparsh Shrivastava’s hard work has finally paid off. What are your views on his performance in Laapataa Ladies?