Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; February 26, 2019)

She may be an outsider, but Kriti Sanon believes that her talent holds her in good stead. The svelte actress feels that persistence is the key to success and that’s why she did not give up despite the initial struggles in her career. After a few misses and a super successful Bareilly Ki Barfi (BKB), Kriti is all set to rock the box office with four releases lined up in 2019. Just ahead of her upcoming film Luka Chuppi, the actress spoke to BT about the fact that she has nothing to be insecure about and being frank in her opinions. Excerpts...

You haven’t looked back since Bareilly Ki Barfi and you have four releases lined up this year with Luka Chuppi, Arjun Patiala, Housefull 4 and Panipat. Are you happy with the variety of work in your career?
It feels great; all the four films are different from each other in terms of concept, storyline, and characters. While Luka Chuppi is a situational comedy, Arjun Patiala is a crazy North Indian comedy and Housefull 4 is a laughter riot. Panipat, on the other hand, is a complete breakaway from anything I have done so far. It’s my first proper period film, in which I play the historical character of Parvatibai. I am a Punjabi and to dress, talk and behave like a Maharashtrian woman was a different experience. I completely submitted myself to director Ashutosh Gowariker and his vision.

From a shaky start to now being a sought after actress, do you feel your career is on track?
I am definitely happy with the way my career is shaping up. However, there is still a lot more to do and explore as an actor. I want to work with directors, who probably can push me. I always feel the need to step out of my comfort zone and do things differently… like play an angst-driven character or someone who is nothing like me.

From my days of struggle, I have learnt that one shouldn’t take success or failure seriously as neither lasts too long. For me, the journey of a film is more important than the result. I have no regrets if a film like Raabta didn’t connect with the audience, because I learnt a lot from the experience. People couldn’t imagine that I could do a film like Bareilly Ki Barfi (BKB). I have been perceived as this glamorous and urban chick, and that’s a perception I broke with the character of Bitti. Now, I am way more confident about taking risks. I would like to play a role where people say I’ve been wrongly cast so that I can shock them again.

In a way,do you feel BKB set the ball rolling for content-driven films, especially the ones set in small towns?
Times have changed. The past year, in particular, has been an eye-opener for us, because films have done well only because of good content, be it Andhadhun, Badhai Ho or Uri. Most of them haven’t really had big stars. I am glad that the audience is looking at a mix of entertainment and content way more than anything else. Having said that, I still feel that I should have more opportunities to choose from which sometimes you don’t get because you don’t come from a film background. Right now, a lot of directors I want to work with and the content I want to explore aren’t really available on a platter to me.

Raabta was producer Dinesh Vijan’s directorial debut. Since that film didn’t fare well at the box office, was it tough to invest faith in a fairly new director with Luka Chuppi?
Not at all. In fact, I feel every new director has new energy and a lot more hunger. Everything has its pros and cons. It’s not necessary that an experienced director will always deliver a hit. If a film does well, but people don’t like my performance, it will break my heart. A film can go either way with any director or actor. The script and the vision of the director play an instrumental role when I say yes to a project. Laxman (Utekar) sir isn’t a rank newcomer; he has directed Marathi films. I am a director's actor and the way he instructed me on certain things during the narration, totally convinced me to take up the role.

Today there are ample opportunities for actors, but there’s also tough competition between the current crop of actresses. Does that ever play on your mind?
You think of competition the moment you step in or, maybe, even before that. It’s not a realisation that seeps in at a later stage in your career. There’s competition at every step, as you could be vying for the same part like several others. But then, I look at its healthy aspect. I like many of my contemporaries’ films. It inspires me and makes me want to do better. Having said that, everyone has a different journey. I don’t always keep looking around and feel insecure just because I am not from the industry. I agree it is a little difficult to get noticed. I feel that everybody has those few films which turn into milestones and change the course of their career. Deepika Padukone did several films, but was recognised as a great actor probably with Cocktail. Homi Adajania wrote a completely new character for her. For me, BKB was that one milestone, which broke barriers.

Like you just said, everybody has those few films that turn into milestones, but even to get that kind of work is no mean feat. Is it tougher for you, as opposed to an industry kid, who has more access to opportunities?
To be honest, you feel frustrated. It’s not just about films, but something as simple as magazine covers. There are people who grace them even before their first film has released. I remember after starting work on Heropanti, I didn’t get my second film, until my first film had released and people had judged my capabilities. That doesn’t happen when you come from a film background. But to be fair, today there are a lot of people in the industry who don’t see it that way and there are a lot of good opportunities coming my way. It feels really good when I work with a director like Ashutosh Gowariker and know that I was his first choice.

Last year, when people from the industry were being named in the #MeToo movement, you took to social media to share your views. You received a mixed response for the post in which you insisted that the veracity of the anonymous cases should be checked. What’s your stand today?
I stick to what I wrote. I really appreciate everyone who came forward and shared their experiences, because it takes a lot of guts to do that. I only said the process to have a method. It’s absolutely fine if the one accusing wants to stay anonymous, but you need to lodge an FIR so that there is a way of taking the case forward. Otherwise, it’s of no use. I feel that in today’s time, you should speak up and not be scared or shut yourself out. For me, self-respect is paramount and you won’t be at peace if you allow someone to walk over you. I don’t know how I would have reacted if I had been or were in a similar situation, but I can tell you that nobody can force me to do anything and that’s how it should be. If you are here to work, then your talent and work should speak for you. One shouldn’t be scared of any one, because there are so many other people in the film industry who are giving chances to newcomers. If one door shuts, the other door opens for those who are talented.

Were you shocked when your friend Mukesh Chhabra’s (casting director turned filmmaker) name came up?
Since Mukesh is a dear friend, it was both shocking and sad for me to read about the #MeToo story involving him. I am glad that a procedure was followed, which brought some clarity to the matter and that he is back on track.

Speculations are doing the rounds about your relationship with Sushant Singh Rajput for a while now. What’s your equation with him currently?
Haven’t these speculations been around for few years now? I have the same answer every time I am asked this question. There is no change in the equation between us. We were friends earlier and remain good friends. Of course, as we do other films, we tend to get busy with our respective careers. But that doesn’t mean that the equation has changed.