It’s difficult to speak the "whole and entire truth" in today's time, says actor Sonakshi Sinha, stressing that artists have become careful with the subjects they want to explore in movies.

Asked whether mainstream cinema resists hard truth in its narrative, Sinha said it is not always possible to depict reality.

"If you speak the truth too much, the film also stops in today's time. It’s difficult to speak the whole and entire truth. So, I think, people are much more careful with the subjects that they’re choosing, with the truth they want to get out there, with what they’re trying to convey. I think we live in slightly difficult times as creative people, we don’t have that freedom anymore," the actor told PTI in an interview.

Sinha debuted in Hindi cinema with the 2010 movie "Dabbang", co-starring Salman Khan. The film was a major success and there was no looking back for the actor, who went on to deliver critically-acclaimed performances in "Lootera", "Akira", "Mission Mangal", and OTT shows "Dahaad" and "Heeramandi".

Looking back at her journey of over fifteen years in movies, Sinha said the industry is different from when she joined movies and one of reasons is the rise of social media.

"It's gotten tougher, I feel, because there was not that much exposure. There was social media, now it has become huge. So, I feel I came at a slightly nicer time and things just started going down from there," she said.

The actor said experience has helped her make better choices, while also bringing about a change in her as a person.

"As an actor and as a person, you grow up. I was literally a baby when I started working, so a lot of changes come to you organically while you’re working. I feel I’m a much different person than I was then," she said.

Sinha admitted that some projects have left her with "nightmares" and regrets but she would never disown them.

"You end up becoming a part of it because it was a certain way, but then it gets made a certain way. Things change while you're shooting and then you’re just miserable, like, ‘What have I signed up for?’ Then your quality of work also goes down. You just don’t want to be there, so, I feel stuff like that has happened to me.

"But I would never disown a film. I did it in 'hosh o havaas' (right senses). Whatever I have to do, I have to do it well and then move on. Everybody makes mistakes in their life. We are also the same. You just have to move on.” Sinha is currently awaiting the release of "System", a legal drama which also stars Jyothika and actor-filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker.

In the movie, she features as lawyer Neha Rajvansh who must prove herself in front of her hot-shot lawyer father (Gowariker). Initially, determined to win all the cases that come to her, Sinha's character starts questioning the idea of winning at all costs.

The film, directed by Ashwini Iyer Tiwari of "Nil Battey Sannata" and "Bareilly ki Barfi" fame, turned out to be a fun experience for the actor.

She praised Tiwari as an entertaining and fun loving person who could easily conjure up vulnerable and yet "grounded in reality" characters through the legal drama.

"The seriousness of this film, of situations, of the subject, I think demanded something really different from her as well because this is not the kind of film that she has been making in the past. It was a very different way to go for her and I think she manoeuvred that really well and it was really refreshing to see her kind of bring out something like what she did in ‘System’.” Similarly, she shared a good rapport with Jyothika and said she would love to collaborate with her again.

"We really enjoyed working with each other, I mean I feel like our work ethic is very similar. I felt like this is a nice person to work with; to have on set and she is such a fabulous actor. I think that really elevates your own performance. I mean I think it was great, I would love to work with her again.” Sinha said her character Neha Rajvansh is a “very real, very flawed” person who is trying to do the right thing.

"She is someone who stands up for her values and her principles. She will fight to get it right. For me it was a very interesting character to play because I have never played a lawyer before. The whole courtroom scenes were fun for me as an actor. I think overall it was something that I just kind of became.” Sinha also recalled her conversations with Gowariker, who once told her how he started as an actor but ended becoming a renowned director who gave hits such as "Lagaan", "Jodha Akbar" and "Swades".

Before his foray into direction, Gowariker had worked on movies such as "Kamla Ki Maut", "Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro", "Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa", "Chamatkar" and shows "Bharat Ek Khoj" and "Circus".

“He’s a very good actor. So, I asked him also, he said, ‘I actually came to become an actor'. And then he ended up directing’. So, he’s really got it. I think he was just perfect for this role. He’s playing my father and he’s playing a full shark of a lawyer and he’s done it really well.” Sinha said she is currently shooting for “Dahaad 2".

"System", which will make its debut on Prime Video on May 22, has been produced by Pammi Baweja, Harman Baweja, and Smitha Baliga, and written by Harman Baweja, Arun Sukumar, Tiwari, Tasneem Lokhandwala, and Akshat Ghildial.

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