Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; September 4, 2020)

Senior actor Upasana Singh says she enjoys entertaining people and that’s what kept her going for over three decades now. She has been part of dramatic films and TV shows but prefers comedy over other genres. “Aaj kal vaise bhi kitne tension hai, comedy shows are the best remedy in this pandemic,” says Singh, who is part of the new comedy show, Gangs of Filmistan.

She has been following the news of Sushant Singh Rajput’s death and the debates that followed. Having been in the industry for years and having worked in various regional films, she shares that people often are attracted to the glamour of the industry. “Chakaa chaund ki zindagi dekhte hain log, par yeh pura sach nahin hai. People think there are no problems in the lives of actors and everything is smooth. There is stress in every field and I have been through tough times too. Ones who start from scratch have to work harder. People have been talking about star kids and I do agree that they have it easy but ultimately the audiences are the judges. Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Tiger Shroff and Shraddha Kapoor are talented and that’s why they are stars, not just because they are star kids. We have a number of examples of star kids who haven’t shown potential,” she says.

Singh says competition in the industry is fierce and there are many vying for the same job. She recalls how she faced competition in the 90s in films. Elaborating, she says, “Heroines would get my outfits changed in scenes, so I don’t look better than them. There are many examples and there are many things one has to handle while working in the industry — not just competition, but jealousy of co-stars, rapport with filmmakers and maintaining an image.”

She adds, “In this industry, there are girls who are willing to compromise. I find it weird when I hear actresses say they were forced. No one forces you, you make a choice. Once a famous South Indian producer propositioned me and called me to his office late at night. Next morning, I barged into his office and screamed at him. He was shocked. I’ve left films as I never compromised. I believe if you have talent, you will get work and I always got a lot of good work,” she signs off.