I get put into the foreign girl category, says Sapna Pabbi
That Bollywood is a tough place to crack is not something unknown. It becomes all the more difficult for actors who have a language barrier or come from other countries to make a career here. British model and television actor Sapna Pabbi admits to having faced prejudiced perceptions from filmmakers and casting directors.
“I’m from England and I get put into the foreign girl category. I understand that they want to cast someone close to the character. But then Breathe (web series) happened in 2018, in which I played a Bengali woman who was a mother. Initially, no one could imagine me in that role but I insisted on going for a screen test and I cracked it. After the show, people told me that they actually thought that I was Bengali,” shares Sapna. The actor, who made her Bollywood debut with Khamoshiyan (2015), shares that while there are problems which exist at the casting level, it’s ultimately the job of the actor to convince people that they are right for a part that they want to do.
“An actor has to keep experimenting, and go out there and get the roles. If something is there that you want to do, you have to go after it because nobody is going to give it to you. They won’t be convinced about you unless they see the conviction in you,” explains the actor. Sapna may have stayed away from the big screen since her Bollywood debut but she has been keeping extremely busy with web shows such as The Trip, Bombers, Inside Edge 2, as well as regional films. Even her film Drive released on an OTT platform last year and the actor says she is a big fan of the digital space. “We are all so busy nowadays. So, web content is something that fits in our busy schedules.” However, she quickly adds, “At the end of the day, movies are going to remain movies. That experience is something that you can never take away from.”