Tanaya Gupta: Fame And Recognition Are Completely Temporary [Actress, Tarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, CID, Crime Patrol, 287k Followers]

Tanaya Gupta Interview

 Tanaya Gupta is a versatile actress known for her roles in the feature film Neerja (starring Sonam Kapoor), alongside iconic television projects including Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, CID, Balika Vadhu, Crime Patrol, Savdhaan India, Dahleez, and Ek Boond Ishq.

Q. We know you as an actress, anchor, and content creator, and one thing is evident - you truly enjoy being in front of the camera. But beyond the screen, we'd love to know the person behind it all. Who is Tanaya Gupta, and how would you describe yourself?

Honestly, the fun, bubbly, and positive person you see on camera is exactly who I am in real life. I always look at the glass half full, keeping myself calm, composed, and patient.

Though I've never said this out loud, my personality actually shifts depending on the day. Some days I am in a quiet, peaceful Zen mode, while on other days I am the most fun person in the room. I love living life to the fullest and believe that whatever happens is meant to be. Instead of dwelling on tough situations, I choose to handle them with grace and focus on the positive.

In that sense, I am a very sorted person who believes in the motto 'live and let live.' I don't interfere in others' lives, nor do I appreciate interference in mine. I prefer to just go with the flow.

I am also highly drawn to aesthetics - I love everything around me to be aesthetic, whether it's my home, my drawers, or my social media. Even when I go out, I naturally look for the most aesthetic corner to spend my time in. And, of course, I am a true beach girl! Being in the water makes me the happiest, and I would live there if I could.

Ultimately, I am truly that same happy, graceful girl you see on TV, always striving to handle life's ups and downs with dignity while letting others do the same.

Q. You have portrayed several memorable characters over the years, and one of them is Minty (Sapna) from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. Being part of such an iconic show is an achievement in itself. How was your experience of playing that role?

Being a part of such an iconic show like “Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah” was truly the best thing that ever happened to me. I have played over a hundred characters and worked on daily soaps for months and months, but shooting for Taarak Mehta was on a completely different level. 

It was one of my favorite acting experiences, primarily because I got the opportunity to play dual personalities, which allowed me to showcase the exact kind of performance I had always wanted to deliver.

Beyond that I got to work with seasoned actors who were not only brilliant at their craft but were incredibly warm people - giving me the chance to learn so much from them. The moment I walked onto that set, they welcomed me like family and nurtured me like a child. The love and care I received there was beyond words.

Even though I shot for only a month, the praise and respect I received - and still receive to this day, touchwood - is beyond my wildest imagination. In this industry, you can work tirelessly for ten years without getting much in return. For me, this show was a divine validation - a 'jackpot' gift from God that made up for all the years my hard work didn't yield results, and honestly, for all the upcoming years as well.

I have done a lot of other prominent work; I was in “Balika Vadhu” for a year, did another show for six months, and had great roles in “Dahleez” and “Ek Boond Ishq” where I really got to perform. But the massive platform and the creative fulfillment I found on Taarak Mehta remain unmatched. It was a true blessing, and I will be forever grateful for the love it brought into my life.

Q. Even today, many people fondly remember and recognise you as Minty from Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah. How does it feel when a character you played years ago continues to receive so much love?

Like I said, it really is a blessing. I've played so many characters, but who knew that one small, one-month role would carry so much weight. You won’t believe it, but I played that character back in 2015, and here we are in 2026. Yet, it still feels like I was just on the show yesterday because the love I receive today is just as intense as it was back then. I think a lot of this comes down to gratitude. 

Even when I didn't get anything in return, I was grateful for the smallest victories, and this feels like the beautiful result of that. It is a validation for all the effort I've put in over the years. This feeling is honestly beyond explanation; when you don't have any answers, it just feels like a miracle where suddenly you get to sit back and bear the fruits of your labour.

If you look at my career graph, the first ten years were pure hard work. When Taarak Mehta happened, I had already been acting for seven years, and it was during that final year, right when I started anchoring, that this took place. The first half of my career literally gave me nothing back. But the second half, even when I'm not doing much, just keeps giving. It is the reward of my past struggle, but more than anything, I consider it a pure blessing.

Q. Over the years, we've seen you evolve from acting and anchoring to creating digital content. How did that transition happen, and what inspired you to explore this new space?

Like I said, after Taarak Mehta happened, I did a couple of shows and then transitioned into anchoring. A job opportunity came up for corporate anchoring with Naaptol - You must have heard about this, which I took. I didn't leave acting, but anchoring was a daily commitment that kept me so busy I simply didn't have time for auditions.

However, because I spent so much time in the studio for anchoring, I started creating content on the side. I used my free time there to click pictures and create things I liked. I did corporate anchoring for a couple of years, and then COVID happened. When the pandemic hit and everything shut down, content creation took the front seat. Originally, it was just a side hustle - not for any financial or materialistic purposes, but just because I enjoyed it. Back then, 

Instagram was becoming popular and brands started sending things for barter collaborations. I didn't even know what a 'barter collaboration' was at the time; I would just receive products; they'd ask to post a photo it. But during COVID, brands started paying well, and that is when it transitioned from a side hobby into a primary focus. Since acting projects had completely dried up during the pandemic, acting naturally took a back seat.

Once COVID ended, the travel industry suddenly exploded. I love traveling, so I jumped right in - it was almost like 'revenge travel' since we had all been stuck at home. I began creating content while traveling, which opened up paid opportunities for travel content as well.

The fact that I was still in front of the camera made me comfortable with not acting, because my main motive has always been to remain in a creative field and work in front of the camera. Around this time, I also started a marketing agency with my husband, which we still run today, but content creation became a massive business in itself. I never expected to make so much money from Instagram when I first started back in 2016, when the platform wasn't even that big.

Today, I still anchor; I do Flipkart and Amazon Lives. I am also constantly on the lookout for a great role in a good web series. However, content creation occupies most of my time because I am fully into it now. It gives me the convenience and creative liberty to portray things exactly how I want, which satisfies my creative juices.

Even though content creation is currently at the forefront, I would grab any great acting or anchoring opportunity in a jiffy. Playing characters is in my heart. Right now, content creation acts as my platform to play different roles, but I will never leave acting or anchoring behind. Ultimately, I am an artist - and wherever I get the opportunity to perform and showcase my talent, I will always grab it.

Q. We've seen you as an actress, a familiar face through Naaptol, and today as a content creator collaborating with leading brands. How would you describe this journey, and what were some of the biggest challenges you faced along the way?

It has been a remarkably long journey since I first started back in 2009. I actually began my career doing reality shows (MTV: The Fast and The Gorgeous), and one of them became incredibly famous. Suddenly, I was recognized everywhere I went - people were constantly asking for pictures, and that instant fame motivated me to work even harder.

However, because my face had become so heavily associated with that one show so reality shows stopped coming, and since I was still fairly new, I didn't really know how the TV audition circuit worked. Slowly, the fame began to fade. Going out and suddenly not being recognized at all started deeply bothering me, and I grew desperate to find another show just to hold onto that feeling.

For a very long time, I got absolutely nothing. That phase of having no work and no recognition hit me incredibly hard, leading to a long period of depression where it felt like everything was completely finished. I reached a point where I wanted to give up and return home to Delhi, telling my parents there was nothing left for me here. 

But my family supported me beautifully. They told me that nobody was forcing me to get immediate results, that they were always there for me, and they reassured me that I would eventually find my way.

Their motivation, combined with the harshness of that phase, taught me a lesson the hard way: fame and recognition are completely temporary. I realized they should never be my ulterior motive. I learned to develop immense patience and get used to the fact that everything takes time.

Slowly and steadily, the work returned, and I began focusing entirely on mastering my art rather than chasing the byproducts. By the time Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah happened around the end of 2015, the fame returned intensely - but this time, the lesson I had learned kept me grounded. Even today, when people still come up to me for pictures, I never take it for granted or let it go to my head. I remain calm, humble, and detached from it, because I remember exactly what it felt like when nobody was coming up to me at all.

Ultimately, this journey taught me that every phase in life is temporary. The most important thing is that you must never stop working toward your art. Money, fame, and success are just byproducts; if you put your heart and soul into what you love, the results will eventually follow. And even if they take time, you still get the joy of doing what you love.

You can't just sit idle and wait for opportunities to knock on your door; sometimes, you have to create your own. Today, life is so much easier for an artist compared to when I started, because we have digital platforms to showcase our talent independently. If I don't have an acting gig, I create content; when I'm not creating content, I anchor. 

Like the old saying goes, 'Neki kar aur dariya mein daal'. You have to be entirely honest with your craft, pour your soul into it, and completely detach yourself from the expectation of results."

Q. On camera, you always come across as cheerful, energetic, and full of positivity. But like everyone else, do you also have days when you feel anxious, frustrated, or demotivated? How do you navigate those moments and find your way back?

In a creative field like art, you simply don't work every day. You experience intense waves where you are flooded with projects, followed by months where there is absolutely no work at all. During those quiet times, the only thing that keeps you going is a positive attitude.

Of course, negative thoughts are bound to hover over your head - they come up a lot. When they do, I give myself the time to acknowledge and accept them. But once I reach my threshold for that negativity, I actively force myself to pivot and flip the narrative. 

For example, if the thought creeping into my mind is, 'Money is not coming,' I deliberately retrain my brain to say, 'Money is coming. Things will happen.' If I catch myself stressing that a specific brand isn’t reaching out, I shift my mindset to, 'This brand is coming to me; I know it will happen.' Practising this mental switch helps.

When frustration or creative blocks hit, you have to look at the massive number of resources we have access to today. Instead of letting anxiety take over, I take action. I use platforms like Google or AI tools to brainstorm ideas, research how to land particular gigs, or study other creators for inspiration. As the saying goes, 'Where there is a will, there is a way,' but you have to actually execute that will.

You must constantly keep moving, otherwise those dark thoughts will build a permanent home in your head. My absolute rule for handling a slump is never to sit idle at home dwelling on it. The moment I feel stuck, I step out of the house. Just the physical act of changing your environment forces you away from your overthinking and pushes you into action. 

When you put yourself out there in the world, new opportunities and fresh motivation naturally follow. Sitting in one place will never help; you either have to leverage digital platforms to find an activity, or simply get up and walk out the door.

Q. Finally, beyond work, we'd love to know a little more about you. Is there a book you would recommend to our readers, or perhaps a movie or series that's your personal favourite or comfort watch?

Lately, I’ve always been a fan of “Paulo Coelho”. His books are very easy to read yet have deep meanings, so he’s the author I recommend if a person is not into reading. But if someone is already an avid reader, I would highly recommend “The Fountainhead”. It is very deep, dark, and holds a meaning we can all relate to in daily life. As you grow, you understand its meaning even better.

As for movies, I recently watched “Interstellar” - I don't know how I missed it before, or maybe I'd only watched it in bits and pieces. Lately, I've got this knack for wanting to know about the future, space, time, and how the Earth was formed. I've become quite addicted to it.

Interstellar is a movie I 100% recommend. It’s a very different genre from all the usual rom-coms, thrillers, or mysteries. When we are facing the chaos of daily life, watching these sci-fi movies just takes you away from reality. I definitely recommend starting with Interstellar because it's a little commercial, yet it completely takes you away from normal life.

Bio

Originally from Delhi, Tanaya Gupta completed her Bachelor’s in Journalism and Mass Communication at Indraprastha University. After that, she pursued her Master’s in Film, Cinema, and Video Studies from Mumbai University. She then entered the entertainment industry behind the scenes, working as an assistant manager at WANNABE Films Limited.

With over 15 years of experience across film, television, commercials, and digital media, Tanaya has built a highly versatile acting career. Her extensive television and cinematic portfolio include the acclaimed feature film Neerja, alongside household TV projects like Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (where her 2015 breakout role as Sapna/Minty remains widely recognized), CID, Balika Vadhu, Dahleez, Ek Boond Ishq, Crime Patrol, and Savdhaan India.

Beyond fiction, Tanaya has starred in over 25 national ad campaigns for top-tier brands including Amazon, Samsung, Cadbury, Colgate, Honda, Tide, and Godrej. Having previously worked as an anchor for Naaptol during her early television years, she has seamlessly transitioned her hosting skills into the modern digital forefront. Today, she actively anchors major live media campaigns for premier platforms like Flipkart and Amazon. At her core, Tanya remains a dedicated, multi-faceted artist with a rich legacy spanning drama, commercials, and live media.

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Interviewed by Himanshi Bhatt