Rekha Sharma’s ‘fierce’ feminine leadership in medical drama is a great example of this
CTV’s top-rated medical drama Transplant Friday’s return will be marked by a strong focus on Season 3’s Rekha Sharma character.
Dr. Neeta Devi (Sharma), the new chief, has been trying to make changes to the hospital’s work procedures while battling tensions with her colleagues, including Torri Heygginson, head ER nurse Claire Malone.
“Getting to do the storyline is really tough and moving, honestly,” Sharma told Yahoo Canada Last year. “What happens between nurses and doctors when trying to implement change? And how does that affect nurses in a system that’s overrun and sadly hierarchical in its nature where nurses get very little and doctors get more respect.”
I hope that the show will highlight these issues in a way which would make a difference in the real world. We are hearing it on the news, and we see it on our screens. While I don’t know what it will take to change them, they must improve.
“Someone who is open to receiving more and has a vision for the future.”
Sharma explains that Dr. Devi is an inspiring character, particularly because of the way she wants to improve patient care and how healthcare professionals interact with patients.
“Doctors have been training for however many years they’ve had training for,…and so overwhelmed by a, quite frankly, collapsing healthcare system in Canada, and then to ask them to do better because I know they can,” Sharma said. “That’s huge that somebody would do that.”
“So that was probably what I loved most about this role. A person who is willing to ask for more and has a vision.
Dr. Devi is an example of a character with a short history of being featured in mainstream entertainment. She is also a woman from colour who holds a position of power and is a leader.
“I really wanted to challenge the notion of what it means to be a leader,” Sharma said. “We tend to think in a very masculine way about leadership in this male-dominated patriarchal society that we live in, and the idea of feminine leadership is one that involves more compassion, more empathy, which I think is much healthier.”
“But, I believe we think of ourselves as a society that is just touchy feely and that is not strong. I disagree. To be able listen to people, care deeply and give support. That’s fierce.”
“We all desire to be fully human beings.”
Sharma recalls seeing the pilot of the show and was “immediately struck” by the “beautiful and brave action these people took in putting it together. This is referring to the decision to place Bashir (Hamza Haiq), a Syrian refugee at the center of the story.
Sharma said that she is looking for “great writing” when deciding which project she wants to be part of.
“If it’s there on the page then I’ve got more to play with,” Sharma said. “A character that has full, complex, dynamic.”
“Especially as a person with colour, many of us have played roles that were the best friend, sidekick, rather than a deep and meaningful human being. That’s all we want to be, we all want to be recognized as full human beings in the world and of course, in my work.”