I grew up in the beautiful state of Assam. Childhood was a protected & sheltered life but with much encouragement at home to follow our ( me & my sister’s ) dreams. I was always a quiet dreamer but moving to Delhi for my higher studies, opened up a world to me & slowly helped me decide on the path that I wanted to embark on.
Being able to juggle my studies along with being part of the college fashion show team, made me realize that there are many possibilities. Hence, after completing my final year exams I decided to give modeling a shot while I enrolled myself into a short term French language class ( this I want to, someday do an extensive course in ).
I began appearing for auditions of fashion shows & soon I was booked for a few shows. At the same time, I applied for Femina miss India & was selected. I was adjudged ‘miss photogenic’ & made it to the top 5. I was signed up by an international skincare brand & that facilitated my move to Mumbai. My journey as a professional model had begun.
2. Did you ever think or dream of being an actor?
2. Did you ever think or dream of being an actor?
Although I had grown up acting in plays written by my mom & grandmom, also was active in school plays, I never thought I would be a professional actor. It was too far off a dream & despite my love for Hindi films, Bollywood as a concept, the world was alien to me.
3. How can one approach their career and have the confidence and belief to become an actor?
3. How can one approach their career and have the confidence and belief to become an actor?
I can only speak from experience, hence I will say that for me approaching it as a profession, giving my auditions to the best of my abilities & not getting swayed or sucked into any sort of system, however many people around me might tell me or try to influence me, has helped me as a person & as a professional.
I have tried my best to not be bothered by the volume of work but pick what I do organically as much as I can. I made an individual choice on how much pressure I would like to take in this profession.
I also always kept in touch with my first profession which I was fortunate enough to be well established in & that gave me room to be picky about films. I’m not saying my way is the best way, but whatever works for you, keeping your sanity intact is the only way to pursue any profession or passion.
Don’t ever forget that your happiness, your peace of mind is foremost. The beauty of a profession like this is that it gives you a plethora of opportunities, the only thing you need in abundance is patience & perseverance.
4. If not this, what would you be doing?
4. If not this, what would you be doing?
Perhaps I would be teaching or would have tried for a job in advertising or maybe a travel-related job. Teacher because I belong to a family of teachers from my mother’s side & back in school on teacher’s day, there was a fun activity for students where we turned ‘mock’ teachers & had actually teach a class, I would mostly win :)
Advertising because I had enrolled myself in a course in advertising which I, unfortunately, couldn’t complete, so maybe I would have completed that & looked for a job in the field. Travel because I’m absolutely obsessed with traveling & I think one of the things that I love about both modeling & films is the amount of traveling, I’ve got to do thanks to them.
5. For a complete outsider with inroads, what advice would you like to give?
5. For a complete outsider with inroads, what advice would you like to give?
Honestly, I would say keep your two feet on the ground & a firm head on your shoulders, apart from that, I feel each person’s journey is different...each one of us must learn from our mistakes, our stumbles, our falters & keep walking ahead no matter what.
But yes, if you are somewhere connected to reality at all times, you will always have the presence of mind to know what is right & what is wrong . You will always be able to pull yourself out of situations you don’t want to be in, you will always know what not to do.
Remember ‘you are important to you’, so place yourself & your well being first. Surround yourself with real people ( family & friends included ) but always remember to be your own best friend .... always be gentle with people around you. Goodwill & kindness goes a long way. You don’t need to be rude or hurt people to be firm & stand your ground. Be polite but be firm on your beliefs.
6. What is your mantra of success?
6. What is your mantra of success?
For me, the only way to be is to be at it ... so I guess perseverance, reinvention & self-belief are things that keep me going. More importantly, I have always believed that there isn’t any measuring tape for success. You will be successful if you let go of perceptions & notions. If you have managed a self-created path, that itself is your success.
7. Which is your favorite book and why?
7. Which is your favorite book and why?
One book to pick is difficult but ‘palace of illusions’ & ‘blink’ my left an imprint on my mind. The former because of its perspective of a woman who makes every experience in her life into an undeterrable strength ... & the latter for helping me listen to my gut & hone my instincts in the most practical way possible
She is known for her roles in movies like Ladies vs Ricky Bahl and 16 December
- Interviewed by Shilpy Sharan
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