Spotting Saiyami Kher shopping in a narrow lane in Janpath, which is known for its silver jewellery and ethnic clothes, was a surprise for many visitors and sellers. “Ye toh woh hi hain na jo abhi cricket wali movie mein aayi hain?” was their reaction as they approached her for selfies. The actress, who was in the capital recently, took some time to take a round of Janpath and reminisce about the time she spent in Delhi before making her acting debut.

Saiyami says that Delhi is the place where she fell in love with acting and that is why the city will always remain close to her heart.

“I have very fond memories of Delhi. Before starting to shoot for Mirzya, I was living here for four months. I was staying in an apartment in Greater Kailash and doing an acting workshop. I came here at a time when I was still an aspiring actor and used to hear all kinds of toxic things. At that time I came to Delhi and met Dilip Shankar and Adil Hussain, who are my acting gurus. They guided me in the right direction. So Delhi was my acting school, I stayed here for months, learning acting and horse riding. I still come here every year to do workshop with my gurus,” says Saiyami.

Saiyami says that she did all touristy things when she came to Delhi before making her acting debut. “I visited India Gate, Qutub Minar, went to Old Delhi and many restaurants in Khan Market. At that time Shabana maasi (Shabana Azmi) was an MP and had a home here. We used to go to Lodhi Garden and I find that part of Delhi very beautiful. I used to shop a lot from Dilli Haat. My mom would come here and we would shop for mojaris and bags and my sister is very fond of handloom stoles and I used to take her entire stock from Delhi. I explored Delhi in those four months I was here. After that I have mostly been coming here for shoots. I shot for Breathe here and some parts of Special OPS. I will be coming here in mid-October for another shoot,” she says.

Saiyami has been getting a lot of appreciation for her last release Ghoomer and she says that it is overwhelming that so many women are loving the movie, where she plays a paraplegic bowler. 

“Ghoomer is closest to my heart. It has been a life altering film for me. I haven’t received this kind of love ever. It is surreal. Everyone who has watched it has loved it. Unfortunately, it came at a time when Gadar 2 and Jawan were running in theatres and we didn’t get enough screens but we still survived. It is surprising how much love we are getting from women, some 80-year-old women, some mothers of teens. They tell me they want their children to watch the film. A lot of schools are doing screenings of the film and it feels special,” says Saiyami.

For Saiyami, celebrations started before the festive season kicked off as her movie Ghoomer received appreciation from the audience. She says that now she is looking forward to spending some time with family during the festive season.

She says, “Be it Diwali or New Year’s, the festive season for me is all about spending time with family. Honestly, festivals are the only time we get to be at home, eat ghar ka khaana. I don’t even feel like dressing up a lot on festivals when I am home, as that is something I do all the time as part of my profession.”