The actress talks about how she has been spending quality time with her family during the lockdown, the insecurities of showbiz and the need to keep oneself relevant at all times
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; April 23, 2020)

From your social media profile, it’s evident that you love being outdoors. So, how are you handling this phase of being homebound?
I’m a restless person and I can’t stay indoors for very long. So, throughout the day, I go to the terrace a couple of times. Other than that, I spend time chilling with my family and reading books. As for my workout, I go up and down the building’s staircase a few times, and also do functional training at home, which does not need equipment. I force my brother to keep me company in all of this and he never says no. My family is happy to see me around. We live in the same building, but in different apartments. Usually, they don’t see much of me because I keep travelling for work commitments, but the Coronavirus lockdown has given us plenty of time to catch up on conversations.

It’s been almost 18 months since your last release (Thugs Of Hindostan). It was your second film (after Dangal) and it failed to click with the audience. Did you introspect on what happened and the way ahead?
I didn’t have any outings last year because all my projects were getting pushed around for dates or due to technical issues. This is the nature of our business; once you’re done shooting, there’s nothing you can do except wait and watch. That’s sometimes disappointing for actors because all their hard work is sitting in a can, waiting to be shown to people. And just when we were hoping that my films would move ahead, the pandemic put everything on hold. Thankfully, we wrapped up Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari a day before the lockdown. Let’s hope things get back to normal, soon.

Many child actors become full-time actors after growing up, but most of them don’t find their way around. What has your experience been like? You started off as a child actor, who grew up and went through several auditions before landing the lead role in Dangal...
I continue to audition for roles and I think that’s fine. After Dangal, I was accepted in the industry, but post Thugs Of Hindostan, things changed. The most difficult part is to stay relevant, especially when you are not working as much as others. This industry gets so many newcomers every year that someone launched a while back, becomes redundant. They forget about you and that is scary. At times, I fear that I will not get more work because when I look around, everyone wants to team up with the current favourite in the market. However, I came to terms with that realisation early on in my career. I have promised myself that I will make the most of this time. I am not great at approaching people, but I believe in shamelessly and yet, organically, letting them know that I want to work with them.

Under normal circumstances, you are barely seen socialising or hanging out with your peers. Have you managed to find friends in this industry?
Anurag (Basu, director) dada is someone I call when I am confused. Another person I speak to is Manoj Bajpayee, who I just worked with in Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari. These are the people I am usually in touch with and I have grown fond of them. About making friends, I get along with my colleagues and peers pretty easily, but I also disconnect just as quickly. The moment we wrap a film, I go back into my shell. I like it that way.