Saumya Tandon on absence from films: I was having a good time on TV

The actor says commercial films are a bit monotonous, she would love to work with new directors

H aving anchored a bunch of TV shows, and currently being part of a comedy show, actor Saumya

Tandon (right) enjoys a crazy fan following. However, she hasn’t taken up a role in Bollywood, after working in filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s Jab We Met (2007), where she played the role of actor Kareena Kapoor Khan’s cousin, Roop. While, her fans would have loved to see her more on the big screen, the actor says she “didn’t want to continue playing small roles.”

She adds, “At that time, there were only these big production houses who used to only work with established stars. And in those big films, I didn’t want to do small roles. I wanted to do something meatier and bigger.”

Saumya points out that it’s only now that concept films are being made, which offer a lot of scope to new faces. “Today, you have these small budget films with interesting stories, where new actors are also given an equal chance. So now, it’s a better time to be in films as opposed to when I started off in the industry,” says the actor.

So if given a chance to work in films now, Saumya adds that she would love to work with new directors. “Commercial and big films have become a bit monotonous. These new directors have new stories to offer and I personally quite enjoy watching small films, so I’d love to act in one such [film].”

Shedding light on why she didn’t really pursue a career in films a decade ago, Saumya shares, “At that time, I happened to be in TV. I was hosting shows — almost 13 to 14 shows back to back. And somehow for all those years, I never got an offer. I was having a good time on TV and was making money too.”