Awards aren’t the only criterion; box office matters more: Kriti

Barely four years in the industry and Kriti Sanon has worked with some of the top names and production houses in Bollywood. She has mainly worked with the younger generation of actors and never had the same co-star in any two films. Kriti, whose next film is opposite Diljit Dosanjh, says that she has had a “different give-and-take with each costar”, as far as the acting process is concerned. “I’ve had the most wonderful experience working with Shah Rukh Khan. During Dilwale (2015), we would chat with Shah Rukh sir about subtext and how he approaches a scene [while acting]. He told me once that there’s no right way of doing a scene — it can be approached and interpreted in many different ways; the way you choose becomes your way of doing a scene. That is something that stayed with me. He also said how it’s important to break the pattern and approach a scene in different ways. Working with him was an enriching experience,” says Kriti.

The recognition of an actor’s craft comes in the form of awards as well as critical acclaim. In the context of the overall award system in our country these days, the Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017) actor says, “I’m not 100% sure, but there are ceremonies that actually give an award to people who really deserve it. There are some functions that create categories to give awards to people who’re attending the ceremony. It’s a known truth, but then you can’t generalise that all [awards] are the same.”

So, do accolades matter to her as an artist? Kriti says, “Any kind of appreciation for your work does make you feel good. It motivates you and makes you feel good that you got a reward for what you’ve done. But that’s not the only criterion. For me, the box office [numbers] and audience reactions matter more.”

PHOTO: ALOK SONI/HT