I Built My Career on My Talent: Ragini Khanna
The actress talks about her career decisions, how “it takes years to build credibility”. She says actors have to constantly prove their worth and it is a hard life.
Gurgaon (2017), Posham Pa (2019), and the recently-released Ghoomketu were courageous films as they were different from the usual movies one is fed on.
“To be appreciated by the audiences for a new idea proves they are ready for different content,” says the actor, who is enjoying being busy with housework during the lockdown. “When I started doing TV, the different kind of storytelling, back then, was scary. I remember going for hundreds of auditions where I was rejected, made fun of and fooled. I struggled to get a good role. They said, I had chubby cheeks, but after just one hit TV show, the same people accept you for your differences. In my career, I am glad to have been part of new formats of storytelling and be accepted for them. I thank my producers and directors for their gumption. Disparity is another issue I experienced- not just regarding the pay, but also in terms of attention towards a film. Gurgaon didn’t get the attention or acknowledgement as many other films did. It was such a huge task to make a film without a big budget and release against a massive film like Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) and yet make your presence felt,” says the Sasural Genda Phool actor. Khanna feels being an actor is a tough job and one needs nerves of steel and a solid support system to bank on. She says, “You have to realise the cost of being an actor and you need to ask yourself, ‘Is it worth it?’ Surviving in Mumbai and being an actor are two different tasks. People were not sure of me, but I build my career on my talent and it takes years to build credibility.
Moreover, you have to constantly prove your worth. Actors have to have self-worth and being jealous of someone else doesn’t help, because everyone’s journey is different. I don’t compare my career to others and feel proud of my body of work. I feel I have got my due and feel validated in my mind.”