A big production house never backed me: Prachi

Actor Prachi Desai (left) made her Bollywood debut with Rock On!! (2008). It was pretty much the same time when actors Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma and Sonam Kapoor had started out in the industry. While they went on to become the leading ladies of Bollywood, Prachi was left behind and had to struggle hard to make an impact. On whether these comparisons with other female actors bother her, the 28-year-old says, “I’ve always looked at my life as mine alone. Considering where I came from and how far I’ve made it, I think it’s been amazing. Also, since I’ve made it so far on my own terms, I don’t care about what others say.” Prachi also feels that it’s not wise to think about what others are doing. “It’s clearly out there about the people I’ve been associated with. I’ve never had a big production house backing me or my film. My set of work has been very different including my debut and launch in the industry. Although I was just 19, I was always given work, which is beyond my years and age. For me, it was a tough one to crack because I always had to do something extra to just bring the real me out there for people to see. So all these things make you rich in films. Plus everyone’s journey is very different,” says the actor.

Actor Tannishtha Chatterjee, (right,above) known for her performances in films like Rough Book, (2016) Angry Indian Goddesses (2015) and Parched (2015), says she wants to be like late actor Zohra Sehgal. “I remember the day I met Zohra Sehgal for the first time. She was 90 and I was 19. Even at that age, I was astonished to see her diligence, discipline and commitment to her work. That’s the true taste of an artist. I aspire to be that sort of an artist,” says Tannishtha. “I think for an artist, there is no scope of being satisfied. The day you are satisfied with your work, you are stopping yourself from exploring another avenue. It hasn’t stopped for me and it is a continuous journey. The 36-year-old actor, often called the princess of parallel cinema, says, “I’m learning and growing and this process should continue.” On her latest film Lion that received six Oscar nominations, she says, “I had a nice time working with Garth. He is incredibly good with actors.”

PHOTO: YOGEN SHAH