Aug 17, 2026 10:00pm IST
Erica Fernandes On Reuniting With Shaheer Sheikh in ‘108 Base Hospital – Uri’ 5 Years On (EXCLUSIVE)
Erica Fernandes is back on Indian television with “108 Base Hospital - Uri,” a new finite series dealing with the lives of Army doctors who are also trained in combat. The actress was last seen in the third season of “Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi,” where she played Dr. Sonakshi Bose.
Variety India chats up with the actor on her television comeback and why she believes short-format is the medium for the future.
Excerpts from an interview…..
What kept you away from daily soaps for five years?
I felt the same stories were being told repeatedly on Indian TV. I had already done a lot of saas-bahu dramas, so I did not want to work in that category again. It was getting too monotonous. I wanted roles that would give me enough scope to perform.
But ‘Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi’ made you one of the top faces of Indian TV. How difficult was it to step away considering that acting is seasonal employment?
The fact that an acting career has its phases is indeed true. Actually, the pandemic made me realise a lot of things. That period gave all of us a lot of time to self-reflect on multiple things. I realised that even as a leading lady, I would not always find work. You cannot be constantly working; so, it’s not a fixed income that you are earning. That is why I moved to Dubai and set up a business there. It also gave me the freedom of choice in my acting career to take up something that truly appeals to me.
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What made you say yes to ‘108 Base Hospital - Uri’ and the character of Major Naina Sanyal?
Major Naina Sanyal is a surgeon who works in an Army hospital. Playing the part of someone from the Indian Army is a matter of pride. I am also glad that I got to do a lot of action because on Indian TV, such roles are not written for women. Also, this entire series has been shot like a movie. The writing is also very different from typical Indian dailies. You can describe it as a hybrid between a TV serial and an OTT series.
The whole team filmed the series in rather rough terrain in Kashmir with limited facilities. How did you keep your mood upbeat?
The very fact that our trailer looked so amazing drove away all the blues (laughs). When we saw our scenes and how fabulous they looked on camera, we were motivated to put in more effort. When you make something good, the inspiration just flows.
There is buzz that Shaheer Sheikh is doing a cameo. He is from Kashmir, where you guys filmed the show?
Yes, he has done an episode and we are very happy about it. This is his turf. He did this cameo only because we were shooting in Bhaderwah in Kashmir, which is his hometown. I had heard a lot about Bhaderwah from him all those years, and it was very special that we could shoot here in his hometown. He showed us where he grew up, his school and family home. It was cute. It was special as we are so close as friends.
How was it working with Gashmeer Mahajani?
It was fun working together as a team. I am glad that people will love our chemistry on screen.
India’s young audience loved serials like ‘Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi’. However, they seem to have moved away from Indian TV post-COVID. Do you believe that finite shows will revive viewership in that age group?
This is the reason why we are making ‘108 Base Hospital - Uri’ as a limited series with 30 episodes. The attention span of people is getting shorter and shorter. I don’t think anyone likes the format of watching daily soaps that run for four to five years. Concise and crisper storytelling is in vogue. People want content that they can watch at their convenience. I know people who started watching ‘Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi’ again in 2026. Yes, there are shows which are classic and iconic. But then, there are shows you enjoy only for 100 episodes. I feel Colors TV has put in great effort for this, and it is a very smart decision.
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