She had a single direct-to-digital release in 2020, but Kriti Kharbanda says she is extremely happy with the pace of her career. The actor, who also started shooting 14 Phere amid the Coronavirus pandemic, says, “I am hoping for better and better work. Fortunately, I think I have been very privileged over the last few years, as I’ve had the option to make choices for myself.”

Kharbanda, 30, who started her acting career with Telugu film Boni (2009) and made her Bollywood debut with Raaz: Reboot in (2016), adds, “When I started my career, I was very young and extremely naive... Obviously, I don’t have any formal training in acting, and it took many years of practice for me to understand the process of choosing a script, and what’s right and wrong for me.”

The actor says her experiences so far have been vital to help her understand the profession better. “What I have learnt in the past few years is to not beat around the bush, learn when to say no — when you think you can’t do something or when you don’t want to do something. I think that is what has got me where I am today, because I have said no to things which a lot of people told me will backfire. Learning to say no is the biggest achievement for me in my career,” explains Kharbanda.

Looking forward to see how her career shapes up in the coming years, she shares, “It has only helped me grow from strength to strength. I am hoping that in the years to come, I am to be part of a film and a cast like Housefull 4 (2019), which is an out-and-out commercial film, and also simultaneously be part of a Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana (2017) and Taish (2020). I want to continue on that path, where I am both a bankable star and good actor.”