Four years after her debut with Mirzya, Saiyami Kher bounces back with Anurag Kashyap's Choked on Netflix
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; June 7, 2020)

She waited for four years to bag her second Hindi film after Mirzya (2016). But now, Saiyami Kher sits back, assured that Anurag Kashyap's Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai—that dropped on Friday—has put her back in the thick of things.

"I have never got things easily. But, I have always believed in charting my own journey," says Kher. A chance meeting with Kashyap at the 2017 MAMI Film Festival set the ball rolling on the Netflix film. "He asked me if I want to act in his film. He asked me if I was sure about playing an older character, warning me that I had to look tired all the time. He told me to think about it and seek others' opinion before arriving at a decision, but I said yes immediately."

Just when she thought the cloud of Mirzya was behind her and things were falling into place, the waiting game began. "Anurag sir got busy with Sacred Games, Lust Stories, Ghost Stories and Manmarziyaan," recounts the actor, who veered towards regional cinema and digital shows in the meanwhile. It was only last year that Kashyap cast South actor Roshan Mathew, and the film went on floors.

The delay aside, Kher is thankful to Kashyap for backing her when no one did. She was signed on for a project ahead of Mirzya's release, but when the film failed, she was unceremoniously dropped. She was also zeroed in on for a Mani Ratnam film, which unfortunately did not take off. "When your launchpad does not do well, things get difficult, but Anurag sir kept his word."

Kher comes from an illustrious film family—Tanve Azmi is her paternal aunt. But the actor is clear about building a career independent of her association with the Azmis and Akhtars. "I want to experience success on my merit. Atya [Tanvi] is always there for me, as are Shabana maasi and Javed uncle. If I need, I can always turn to them."