She’s a prominent face in the digital space today, but Anupria Goenka didn’t grow up wanting to be an actor. Her love for theatre led her to movies and acting, which she feels is her identity today. So far, she has been seen in films like Padmaavat and War, as well as web shows like MX Player’s much-acclaimed Aashram. In a chat with BT, the actress talks about finding her comfort zone in the industry, how OTT platforms gave her career a boost and found a foothold in showbiz. Excerpts:

I think Mumbai is home now and this city does give a lot to people. Yes, life isn’t easy here, but like most people say, and I too believe that Mumbai aapko apna leti hai. As long as you work hard, you will find a place and will be able to chase your ambitions here. Talking about my time in the industry, I left my cushy, corporate job and started working as an actor. I found my calling pretty late in life, but today, acting has become my identity.

Thankfully, I entered the industry when casting directors were active and there was a set way of doing things. I didn’t have any contacts, so I did multiple auditions to get work. I am happy that we are in this phase; otherwise, 10 years ago, it was far more difficult to enter this industry. I got good work because of the casting directors we have today. It was because of them that I got films like Tiger Zinda Hai and Padmaavat. Director Pradeep Sarkar, who worked with me when I was new to the industry, showed faith in me. He liked me instantly and we went on to do so many ads together. There are good people in the industry, and they pushed me to work further. Then, of course, I got an opportunity to work with Sanjay sir (Sanjay Leela Bhansali), Ali Abbas Zafar and Siddharth Anand (director of War) and so on. I was never star-struck. I became a fan of all those great actors I got to work with only after I worked with them and saw their professional drive.

At the beginning of my career, I had a hard time distinguishing between good and not-so-good production houses and projects. I remember I almost took up a film thinking that it was a great opportunity as I was getting to play the lead role. But after seeing my friends’ reactions, I didn’t go ahead with it. I was too shy to visit production houses or call up casting directors for work. Today, I message directors saying, ‘Hey, I hear this project is being under discussion and I would love to test for it.’ Earlier, I was not comfortable doing that.

While earlier I was shy, over a period of time, I have realised that this is also a part of my job profile, and there’s no shame in asking for something you want or wish to do. If you ask me to narrate the other kind of hassles, where someone makes a pass at you or asks you to compromise, yes, I have faced that too. However, my early life experiences have made me strong, and that reflects in my personality. Probably, I could not get as much work as I could have if I had favoured a few people. Yes, favouritism exists, but talent is definitely appreciated in the industry.

I am happy that I got an opportunity to play prominent roles in films like Tiger Zinda Hai, Padmaavat and War. At the same time, I also got to play some promising parts in web shows like Aashram, Asur: Welcome To Your Dark Side, Criminal Justice and The Final Call. The digital medium has played a big role in shaping my career. I got to play such diverse characters on these shows, which somehow went on to become the flagship shows of their respective platforms. This resulted in my OTT identity becoming so strong today. Had the OTT space not opened up, actors like me would have felt far more restless and anxious. With the digital medium, one can witness overnight success. We can show our talent and reach out to the masses with web shows. I stopped acting in ads because there’s so much work in the digital space. Otherwise, when I started off, for the first five years, ads were my bread and butter.

This year, with my last release, I got to essay a lead role in Mere Desh Ki Dharti, where I got to play a village girl. That’s something I wanted to do for a long time. I have also shot for a film with Vinay Pathak, where I am in a lead role as a psycho killer. Then there’s Berlin, where I play the female lead. Apart from these, I am also excited about doing an action-oriented film, and a web series that will see me in a negative role. I am happy that I am doing a variety of roles this year. Yes, things are moving in the right direction, but whether it is really happening the way I wanted it to, well, not yet, to be honest! I hope filmmakers also start seeing me in that light.