When Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 Episode 8 came to a close, Liz found herself in a bad spot.
And she came to the spot by way of Shivani, her mentor, who was desperate to do anything to save her daughter.
We got to chat with Shivani’s portrayer, Rekha Sharma, about everything from that cliffhanger, what it was like joining the series, and what the relationship between Shivani and Allie is like. Check out the interview, and let me know where you think things may go next in the comments!
So I wanted to start by asking you about the ending of episode eight. We’ve seen Shivani so in control. And in those final minutes with Liz, she really appears to be broken down. And I know that her brain is affected by the mist, but can you kind of walk us through what she’s thinking in those moments as she talks to Liz?
I mean, there’s so much on the line for both of them. And I think it’s this point where she expected to be so much more seen and understood.
She didn’t expect Liz to kind of take the perspective that she has. I think it’s that thing where you feel so deeply, so strongly about the possibility of losing someone that it’s hard to fathom that somebody else wouldn’t understand and wouldn’t want to fight for it the way that you do.
And yeah, so I’m just trying to convince her to get her to understand it.
Yeah. And it’s interesting with Liz because she was kind of in that boat at one point. So it was interesting, like you said, that you think she’s going to understand more, and she kind of fights back against it, which is really an interesting way to see Liz in that moment.
Yeah. It’s really unexpected, which is, I think, a great job from the writers, but that’s where it goes.
Yeah, I agree. So, Liz and Shivani bonded really quickly. What is it about Liz that you think Shivani connected with?
I think the part of it is that thing of when you’re estranged from a person you love and there is a person that is representative of that connection that knows that person. There’s sort of this immediate feeling of kinship. Do you know what I’m talking about?
Yes, I do.
Yeah. Like if your dad passed or something and you ran into an old friend of his that you’d never met before, but immediately you’re like, “Oh, you knew my dad?” And so I think there’s that immediate bond right there.
And just hearing about her over the years and stuff from the person I love and then just meeting another, honestly, I believe we had this as actors working together, just meeting another feisty woman of color who’s smart and who I want as a slightly kind of older sister role, uplift and empower and lift each other up.
I feel like that’s a big part of it.
I think that’s a really good way of describing it. It seemed like you guys had a lot of similarities, and as you said, you were able to take something you had in common and build a foundation from that.
Yeah. And then it’s also that thing of like when you’re into something that a lot of people are not into, just to be understood. The fact that they can talk and get each other and have a similar sense of humor or whatever they click. There’s a spark there.
So, Roswell was an established show before you joined this season. How did you find the experience of joining the series, and were you familiar with it?
I wasn’t familiar with it. So it was a fun discovery for me. As soon as I read the part, I just loved the role and writing. It’s really fun. And so I was excited to come on board and what I wasn’t expecting was just the nicest people on that set—all of the crew, all the actors, all the producers, just lovely human beings.
It was such a great atmosphere to work in. And yeah, I feel really grateful having been part of it and not knowing that it wasn’t even going to go any further. So lucky.
I know you touched on this a little bit, but I was curious, what attracted you to the role of Shivani?
I was just saying, I felt like she was kind of a female Tony stark.
Nice. I like that.
She’s got all the money, she’s got the smarts, she’s not a scientist, but she’s got the money to uplift and empower the people who are really smart and on a cutting edge. And she is a futurist and smart, witty, but still really caring and down to earth. And yeah, she’s a feisty lady who wants to get things done. That’s always fun.
I think she’s a very well-rounded character.
Thank you. I’m glad you’re seeing that.
Yes, for sure. Now, because it’s Roswell, viewers are very much trained to be skeptical of new characters. Just because somebody comes in, and you don’t know who to trust. So, with Shivani, I’ve always gotten a good read on her, but I was curious, how did you play it?
Is she complicated? Is she good? Is she bad? Is she a mixture? How did you see it?
I mean, I did see her as basically good, but also maybe in her futuristic way, willing to work outside of the parameters of maybe what’s kosher and possibly getting herself into trouble. I think that’s sort of the world that she lives in. Especially because with the mist, for instance, it’s uncharted territory.
You have to be a risky person to play with something like that. And risky people can get into some trouble. I think she’s kind of like that.
I did also think because some of the characters that I’ve played in the past, especially in the sci-fi world, are known as having turned sort of dark, I did wonder if just by virtue of them casting me for this role, if that’s what they’re saying.
I see her as being good. I like the way you described her as like a Tony Stark, she has the money and the influence, but it seemed like her heart was in the right place. That’s the way I look at her.
Great!
We’ve heard about Allie, and through Shivani, we’ve learned some things about the relationship, but we haven’t been able to see that for ourselves. So how do you imagine their dynamic is?
I mean, I think in some ways, it’s similar to her dynamic with Liz. And I think that’s part of why they get along so well. She knows how to deal with a mind that is so brilliant like that. She’s fallen in love with a mind like that.
And I think being around people like Allie and Liz just absolutely lights her up with joy and possibility, and she is all about the future and what we can do as a species. And on this planet, she wants to go to the outer reaches and make the world a better place. And she believes deeply in science.
I think she’s just excited by the possibilities of it. You have to be a really open-minded person, I think, to play in the world that she does and in the world that Liz and Allplay. So I think that’s what she likes about it. I don’t know if I quite answered your question. You said dynamic.
You did. No, you did, for sure.
Okay, good.
Without giving anything away, what can you tease for us about what’s next for Shivani?
Well, I think just by virtue of the fact of what just happened, we’re now out of the safe zone. I don’t know how Liz is going to feel about what’s just happened or where the chips are going to fall, but things have just gotten a lot messier.
I like it. Did you have a favorite scene that you got to shoot or something that you enjoyed doing during your time on the show?
Yeah, actually the stuff that just aired was really fun. It was exciting to do that scene with the mist with Jeanine. It was really emotionally heightened and taxing. And I think both of us left that scene feeling like, “Wow, we just had a nice little workout together.” I think we really enjoyed it.
It was an exciting day. I would say that was definitely one of the highlights.
One of the other highlights for me was the scene on the rooftop. The first time we meet, it was really fun, like checking each other out. What can we do here? Like getting to know each other. The very first meeting is unexpected. I drop in on my own plane and all of that. It’s pretty fun.
And in that vein, how was filming in Santa Fe?
I loved it. I can’t wait to go back to Santa Fe. It’s a beautiful place. And it did take some adjusting, though, for sure. The climate, high elevation. And it’s very dry. I think, in fact, when I was shooting that scene on the rooftop, I was like, out of my mind.
I could barely remember my lines because I didn’t realize how dizzy it can make you being in that high of elevation. I just felt kind of out of my body, but to pull it together, it took me a few days to adjust. I was like, “Okay, I need to drink a lot more water.” Santa Fe and New Mexico, in general, also are just lovely people.
This is kind of just like a fun question, but Shivani spends most of her time so far that we’ve seen her with Liz, so is there another character you would’ve liked her to share scenes with? Maybe she and Isobel could grab a drink at the Wild Pony or something fun like that?
Right. I barely saw Isobel at all. Definitely felt like, “Oh, she’s in the very other part of the story.” And yeah, Michael Vlamis’s character too, would’ve been fun to work with him. We would chat a couple times in passing and just had a nice rapport. I’m sure everybody on that show would’ve been a blast to work with.
I’m sure. Last question for me here. As we’re heading into the final stretch of episodes, can you give us a few words to describe the end of the season, whether it’s related to Shivani or the show in general?
I think just it’s going to get crazier, and not just my storyline, like all of them. I think it’s a pretty fun ride from here on, just ramping up. So I hope the fans will be pleased with that. I know people are probably really sad that it’s the final season, but I think we’re at least ending on a bang.
Roswell, New Mexico airs Monday at 8/7c on The CW.
***This interview has been edited for length and clarity.***
Whitney Evans is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter.