Her wacky dance moves and humour have won her quite a few fans among television audiences. But, what makes her stand out from your average video jockey is a surprising fluency in Tamil.
Meet Sharmila Thapa, or Thapa as she is known on screen, who has been making waves as a video jockey and dance artiste with Tamil comedy channel Adithya TV. A native of Nepal, the 26-year-old, who moved to the city just 10 years ago, has attained an almost celebrity-like status among Chennaiites, both young and old.
Born in Narayanghat, Nepal, Thapa was initially considered an unlikely candidate for compering in Tamil, mainly due to her accent.
“After my graduation, I auditioned to be an anchor for a show in a well-known news channel, but was rejected. Disappointed, I gave up and went on to work as a visa assistance executive,” says the jovial anchor, a graduate in Tourism and Travel Management from Anna Adarsh College for Women, Anna Nagar.
Interestingly, Thapa’s opportunity came during a brief visit to a therapy centre for weight loss in Vadapalani.
“I befriended Adithya TV VJ Archana at the centre who guided me towards an audition with the humour channel. Finally, I ended up at their studio for the audition by the end of 2012, extremely nervous. I performed a few funny skits and dance steps. Some months later, I got the call,” adds the VJ who went on air for the first time on April 14, 2013.
Thapa’s TV performances and celebrity status have had some unexpected consequences.
“People often stop me on the road and ask if my voice is dubbed or whether I can actually speak Tamil. I have been avoiding bus travel to escape such questions,” laughs Thapa, who dreams of shining on the big screen like her icon Kovai Sarala.
