Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; May 23, 2021)

Uprooting herself from her overprotected life in Delhi, more than seven years ago, Kriti Sanon landed in Mumbai to chase her Bollywood dreams. There were many within her close circle who dissuaded her from taking that big leap of faith, but Kriti went ahead and followed her passion. Today, when she looks back, she can’t believe that she has packed in so much in the years that have gone by. In a conversation with Bombay Times, the actress opens up about what made it possible to make Bollywood her home, her evolution as an actor and the facets of her personality she unravelled along the way. Excerpts:

The year 2021 began on a positive note for you as you were busy shooting for films like Bhediya and Bachchan Pandey. Then, the second wave of Coronavirus hit the country and everything came to a halt again…
Yes, this year had definitely started off well. I was back on film sets, something that really excites me. I shot for Bhediya, Bachchan Pandey and had even started working on Adipurush. The second wave hit all of us like a tsunami. I feel, at this point, nothing is more important than getting the situation of COVID under control.

Personally, how has the lockdown of 2021 been for you? You, too, had tested positive in December 2020. This time around, there seems to be more panic and fear...
Last year, it was all about dealing with the ambiguity around COVID-19, as the virus was new to us. This time around, we are dealing with a far more fatal situation.

It’s quite a scary phase. I asked my parents to come to Mumbai from Delhi, because I wanted them around. I knew I would be more at peace if we were all in the same house. While last year people got busy cooking and working out, this year, people have been helping others with resources. Even I have been trying to help as many people as I possibly can. A lot of my relatives have been down with COVID, too. While on the one hand, I am doing my best to help people, on the other hand, I am also utilizing this time to prep up for my movies. I am going through the dialogues and preparing for the next schedule of Adipurush, which is being directed by Om Raut. I am also looking forward to Ganapath, for which I have to train for the action portions. I am gearing up for the phase when the restrictions will be eased, and shootings will be back on track.

Looking back at your seven-year journey in Bollywood, does it feel like a dream?
This journey has been extremely special, something that I never dreamed of. I come from a simple, middle-class family — my mom is a professor and dad is a chartered accountant. I am an engineer, and I had never thought that acting would be my profession. And here I am today, realising that acting is one thing that gets me excited. It gives me satisfaction, peace and is something that keeps me going. Initially, my relatives and friends told me that Bollywood is too big a dream to pursue and there are too many people who are struggling and want to be in this industry. So, I do feel fortunate to get opportunities to come this far and live my dream.

Back then, when you had just stepped into the industry, were you worried about being accepted by the people here? Was Bollywood welcoming enough?
I don’t think I was ever working towards getting accepted in Bollywood. What I really wanted was to get opportunities to be able to do films and work with directors of my choice. Yes, you do need people who believe in you, and I am lucky to have people like Sajid Nadiadwala, Dinesh Vijan, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Nitesh Tiwari and Ashutosh Gowariker who showed faith in me and that only motivated me to do better. I got the feeling of being accepted right from the beginning, but it took me some time to find my place in the industry. I was new to the city, came from a non-filmy background and knew nobody here. I did feel like a bit of a loner in these filmy parties, which sometimes I still do. Frankly, as you keep working, doing more films and meeting more people, you start feeling like you are part of the industry. However, reaching this far wasn’t easy. I went for a lot of auditions before I got Heropanti, and I must say I was initially terrible at it (auditions). So, I don’t think it was wrong of them (casting directors/filmmakers) to reject me.

The rejections and the failures that you face make you stronger. I believe you learn a lot more from your failure than success. Success gives you a lot of confidence to move ahead and take risks. The appreciation I got for films like Bareilly Ki Barfi, Luka Chuppi or Panipat gave me the confidence to take up roles that were a little different, which people didn’t expect me to do. But my failures made me realise that I shouldn’t be afraid and that I can overcome even a situation like this as well. I have been a learner and have constantly evolved, which is probably why I have reached where I am today.

So, how different is the Kriti Sanon of 2021 vis-à-vis the day you started off in showbiz?
As a person, I feel I have opened up a lot. I was far more stubborn about my opinions, but now I am a lot more open-minded. I have lived a very protective life, so I was more of a black and white person, but now, I see more greys. The past years have also been a journey of self-discovery. As an actor, I have understood my craft and my process better. During Heropanti, I had absolutely no idea about the process of filmmaking, and today, here I am approaching my scenes differently. I think at a deeper level now and find a lot more layers in my characters. It is exciting to be still discovering your process and I wish that I continue to do that.
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The actor, who completes seven years in Bollywood, calls it a learning experience and a journey of self discovery
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; May 23, 2021)

It was seven years ago, on this very day, when Kriti Sanon made her Bollywood debut with Heropanti, and since then, she has shown versatility through her choice of films. From the big actioner Dilwale (2015) to slice of life Bareilly Ki Barfi (2017), from quirky comedy Luka Chuppi (2019) to historical drama Panipat (2019), the actor calls the past seven years “a learning experience” and a journey of self discovery.

She elaborates, “I discovered my own process as an actor and it has been an extremely fulfilling journey. I’m blessed and fortunate to have got so many different kinds of opportunities that have made me grow as an actor.”

Looking back, Sanon, 30, confesses being “completely clueless” on the sets of Heropanti. “From not knowing my camera angles or how filmmaking actually happens to being fascinated by it... I’ve always been a thinker and have had the urge and excitement to learn. That has helped me all these years to grow and evolve,” she says.

While Sanon has become more confident with each of her films, she admits it has been quite a learning to not just polish her craft but also understand herself as a person.

“In these seven years, I remember figuring out my process almost by hit and trial, and seeing what works for me and what does not. I discovered one more thing about myself that it’s nice when you don’t know it all. I don’t know it all and I don’t want to know it all. I’m still discovering the process,” she muses.

The present year may be marred with the second wave of the pandemic, but Sanon has a packed and exciting line-up ahead including pan-India mythology film Adipurush, horror film Bhediya, which she recently shot in Arunachal Pradesh, Mimi, action film Ganapath, Bachchan Pandey and Hum Do Hamare Do.

While she’s pleased with her new slate of films, the actor admits there’s something that she’d have wanted to do differently in the last seven years.

“I have no regrets about the films that I’ve been a part of. I’ve learnt from each one of them — from my successes and my failures. The first three to four years of my career, I was pretty slow. I was being very safe and cautious. I didn’t want to make a wrong move. I was very selective with the projects that I did. I didn’t realise it back then that a film or script doesn’t have to be absolutely perfect. When a script comes to you, it also goes through a journey, and sometimes, things end up getting much better than what is on paper. I’d have probably liked to have done more number of films if I could,” she concludes.