Balancing personal and professional life is challenging in the uncertain entertainment industry. It's about compartmentalizing and not letting professional uncertainties affect personal well-being. While it's a work in progress, engaging in creative outlets like singing, dancing, and painting helps maintain balance.
1. Can you share your journey as an actress, from the beginning to now, and what inspired you to pursue acting?
When I was younger, actually when I was four, my father used to tell me, "You are going to act," but I did not want to act. I was very reluctant because I felt I didn't want to do all of this. I am not this person. I remember when I decided to pursue acting at the age of eighteen, and when I told my father, he just laughed at me.
Initially, I wanted to study psychology and become a criminologist. However, I got involved in the film industry at seventeen while working on IIFA, held in Florida. It was there that I saw the glamorous side of the industry, and it intrigued me. I decided to explore it further by becoming an assistant director. My first film in that role was "Dishoom," directed by Rohit Dhawan. Even though I was in my last year of college at that time, I became deeply invested in the film set, and my interest in psychology started to wane.
After working on "Dishoom," I took a break in 2017 to pursue an acting course. The transition from envisioning a career in psychology to embracing acting took time, but I realized my passion for the craft. I continued as an assistant director for films like "Bhoot" with Dharma and Vicky Kaushal, learning from actors like him. In 2020, I got my first acting project, "Bob Biswas," and it marked the beginning of my acting journey.
2. Tell us about a role where you had to transform yourself significantly. How did you approach this transformation?
I haven't had a role that required a significant transformation yet. The characters I've played, like Mini Biswas and Sana, had elements close to me. I tend to find similarities between myself and the characters to portray them honestly. While portraying Sana in "Maasoom," there were aspects that were challenging as she was different from me. However, after a few weeks, I immersed myself in the character and embraced the transformation.
3. How do you make a character feel authentic and relatable to the audience?
Creating authenticity and relatability is about honesty. You need to believe in what you're portraying—the scene, the circumstances, and your character. If you don't believe it, the audience won't either. Audiences are perceptive, and they can sense genuineness. For me, it's about being truthful and trying to bring honesty to my characters.
4. How do you balance your personal and professional life while staying creative?
Balancing personal and professional life is challenging in the uncertain entertainment industry. It's about compartmentalizing and not letting professional uncertainties affect personal well-being. While it's a work in progress, engaging in creative outlets like singing, dancing, and painting helps maintain balance.
5. Are there any actors or mentors who have influenced your career, and how?
Actors like Alia Bhatt, Deepika Padukone, Irrfan Khan, Vicky Kaushal, and Ranveer Singh have been influential. I sent a message to Vicky Kaushal when I got my first project, expressing how much I learned from him during my time as an assistant director on "Bhoot." These actors have shaped my perspective on work, and I aspire to follow a career trajectory similar to theirs.
6. Can you share a challenge you've faced as an actress and how you overcame it for personal and professional growth?
The challenge isn't specific to acting but to being an artist in the industry. Facing rejection and dealing with expectations when a project doesn't perform as anticipated is a hurdle. It's about acknowledging that you gave your best and using it as a stepping stone for future growth. The competitive nature of the industry requires artists to constantly strive to bring something unique to the table, and managing this pressure is a continuous process of self-improvement and resilience.
BIO:
Samara Tijori is an Actor from Mumbai. She made her debut in a film called “Bob Biswas” directed by Diya Ghosh and written by Sujoy Ghosh. (Zee5) She’s also played the lead in a show called Masoom (Hotstar) created by the makers of “Mirzapur”; Mihir Desai & Gurmeet Singh.
Before acting, she worked as an Assistant Director on films like Dishoom, Bhoot Part 1, and some parts of Good Newwz.
She studied at Jamnabai Narsee School, Mumbai, and Mayo College Girls School, Ajmer. She’s a national-level football player and a trained dancer in Bollywood, Contemporary, and Jazz. She did her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Sophie College Mumbai.
Interviewed and Edited by- Pragya Lamba
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