I NEVER REALLY ASPIRED TO BE A FILM STAR: SANAYA
The actor says she wants to do some great impactful work, irrespective of the platform
After ruling the roost on TV, actor Sanaya Irani is all set to mark her Bollywood debut as a lead in Vikram Bhatt’s upcoming horror film. In a freewheeling chat, the 35year-old gets candid about her Bollywood dreams, how the tag of being a TV actor still impacts her career, and how she never lets the rejections disappoint her. Excerpts:
After a cameo in Fanaa (2006) and a few appearances here and there, you didn’t take up more Bollywood films. Why so?
I never really aspired to be a film star. I did a cameo in Fanaa but there were times I didn’t go for film auditions as I was happy in my space on TV and loved the work I was doing. Be it TV or films, I always aspired to do some great impactful work, and a platform doesn’t define that.
Has the tag of TV actor ever been a hindrance in making a transition to films?
Be it in films or on the web, there are a lot of people who apparently don’t want to work with TV actors. I’ve been told, ‘If you do TV, you may not get films’. But that’s a choice I made, and I don’t regret it. People try to avoid TV actors maybe because when you’re doing a show, you get exposure, or they believe our style of acting is different, but I don’t really know. I’m unsure as to why this stigma gets associated, but I haven’t been a part of TV for a while now, so let’s see if that changes things for me. Have you also faced rejections and did they disappoint you?
The feeling of getting rejected is never good, but it didn’t dishearten me, and pushed me to do better and have more patience. I remember when I began modelling (in 2005), I’d go for so many auditions, take back-to-back trains, and give five to six auditions everyday. I just believed that I didn’t get those ad films because somebody else was better, and hence, I started working harder to be the person who I’d believe was deserving. I kept telling myself, ‘You’ll have to do better to hit the mark’. I feel whatever happens in life happens for a reason. Thinking in this way helps me move on faster.
How was your experience working in your debut film as a lead actor?
I experienced a whole new side to acting. I’m greedy to do more work like that. I don’t know about whether my career will take off in Bollywood or not, but I do hope that, after the film releases, people appreciate my work and notice my capabilities. Doing a web show was getting out of my comfort zone — a different style of working. So, I’ve taken a different route now, and want to conquer both film and web as mediums.
I’ve been told, ‘If you do TV, you may not get films’. But that’s a choice I made, and I don’t regret it. People try to avoid TV actors... SANAYA IRANI ACTOR