My guest is apologetic, having arrived 15 minutes late. She was stuck on a phone call with a global podcast company discussing a new project; one of many, I soon discover. She mentions that her name was mispronounced the entire time during the call, something which despite her protestations, wasn’t corrected.

Bollywood actress Pallavi Sharda (pronounced Pal-la-vi Shar-da) is not yet a household name in Australia, but her star is rising across the world, especially among the South Asian diaspora. She is one of the rare species, which includes former Miss World Priyanka Chopra, attempting to make it in Bollywood and the English-speaking world. Her timing is good given Bollywood is on the rise in the non-Indian world.