Sonal Vengurlekar: I want to take on a positive character now

Television often tends to repeat actors in similar roles, especially if they’ve nailed a particular shade. Sonal Vengurlekar is one such actor who acknowledges this trend. Having begun her acting journey with Kuch Toh Log Kahenge, she recently joined the cast of Jamai No 1 in a role that will eventually turn negative.
While Sonal has played positive characters in shows like Yeh Vaada Raha, Shastri Sisters, and Gupta Brothers, she has increasingly found herself cast in negative roles. Her recent body of work includes antagonistic characters in Saam Daam Dand Bhed, Yeh Teri Galiyan, Kundali Bhagya, Yeh Hai Chahatein, Doree, and Lekar Hum Deewana Dil.
Looking ahead, the actress is keen on breaking this pattern. “I really want to take on a positive character now,” she says, adding, “It’s not that I don’t enjoy playing complex roles — I do. But after a point, it starts feeling repetitive. I want to explore roles where the character uplifts the story in a positive, emotionally fulfilling way, not just add drama with scheming or manipulation. There’s a different kind of satisfaction in playing a character that viewers root for.”
She further explains, “It’s been years of playing similar types of roles with only the names and wardrobes changing. Television has completely typecast me. It’s almost like they’ve decided, ‘Oh, she looks convincing in a negative role, so let’s keep offering her more of the same’. It’s frustrating because I know I’m capable of doing much more. I wish the industry gave actors the freedom to reinvent themselves instead of boxing them into a particular image.”
The problem, she says, begins at the audition stage itself. She shares, “It’s disheartening. When I audition for a positive role, people already have a preconceived notion that I won’t fit the part simply because I’ve played negative characters in the past. They can’t look beyond what they’ve already seen. That’s the toughest part of working in television right now — you don’t always get to show your range unless someone takes a chance on you.”
Jamai No 1 features Simaran Kaur and Abhishek Malik as the lead couple, with Papiya Sengupta playing the pivotal role of Kanchan.