BREAKS WERE BAD FOR CHITRANGDA
The actor feels that being available at the right time is the key to success in Bollywood
Actor Chitrangda Singh, who began her showbiz journey with Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi (2003), says breaks have affected her career to a large extent. The diva, who gave the audience a dekko of her acting acumen with films like Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011) and I, Me Aur Main (2013), but hasn’t been able to make it to the top, says, “Taking breaks took a toll on my career, I guess.”
“When I’d started, my life went through phases where my priorities changed. I debuted and took a break for four years. Then I came back and again I took a two-year break. In the film industry, if you aren’t present when opportunity comes your way, it will affect your career. That is what happened to me,” says the 41-year-old actor, who was married to golfer Jyoti Singh Randhawa till 2014.
Chitrangda further feels that she did not push herself enough to achieve greater success in the industry. “Being talented isn’t enough to get work. Being available at the right time makes all the difference,” she says.
Chitrangda had established her image of a thinking actor from her debut film itself. And she believes in giving a little extra to her roles. “Every role has its own energy. When I’m enacting a professor, it’s different from a prostitute. When I build a character, I analyse certain things about the role I play. As an actor, my job is to perform instead of being repetitive. The little learning that has happened over time is how to focus on character-building and how to react to the same emotion differently,” she says.
The actor says she is more than the roles she portrays on screen. “I’m an actor, I can play everything. At the same time, I’m a normal, fun-loving, regular girl. So far, the mass audience has seen only the characters I played,” she says.
Chitrangda reveals that she is quite opposite to the roles she has essayed on screen. “I learnt kathak for three years, but in films, I did only one item song. Otherwise I didn’t get the chance to dance. Hopefully, things will change,” says the actor, who has worked with directors such as Sudhir Mishra, Onir and Tigmanshu Dhulia.