I used to be heartbroken if my films didn’t work out: Karishma Tanna

Downfall, depression and setbacks are a norm in this industry. It happens to every actor, though the degree might be different. One has to learn to move on,” says actor Karishma Tanna. While she found huge popularity on the small screen with shows such as Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi, Qayamat Ki Raat and Naagin 3, Tanna’s journey in films wasn’t as smooth.

The actor, who debuted on the big screen with Dosti: Friends Forever (2005) and later starred in Grand Masti (2013), was looking forward to the Sanjay Dutt and Vivek Oberoi-starrer Sher, which she shot for in 2013, and later Tina and Lolo, co-starring Sunny Leone. But the former got shelved while the latter didn’t release.

Talking about the setbacks, Tanna admits, “I felt low, frustrated, angry, sad, upset and had mood swings when one after the other, my film projects didn’t work out. I used to be heartbroken as I had pinned a lot of hopes on these projects. I used to feel bad, but not anymore.”

She adds on a positive note, “Sometimes, things don’t go the way you want them to and that’s fine. I had to pull myself up. I believed God has something better in store for me. And my belief worked as He gave me Sanju (2018), where I had a small role, but the appreciation I received for it was huge. One has to stay positive and manifest what you want. That is the only way to pull out of a dark phase in your career... This industry can be draining and taxing at times. It makes you insecure. It is only natural to think about usko kaam mila, mujhe nahin mila, but that doesn’t help.”

Tanna, 36, credits her resilience and positivity to her mother’s blessings. “I have been in the industry for so long; yet I am not bored of it and neither is the industry bored of me (laughs). I have so much more to do. I never let success or adulation affect me too much. I don’t know how to behave like a star, as my mother has taught me to stay grounded. When fans tell me that they appreciate my work, I feel good, but it doesn’t sink in. Moreover, stardom never came easily to me as I always had to struggle and make my way,” says the actor, who is working on a web series next.