Critical acclaim though she may have received for each film that she featured in, Mrunal Thakur’s road to success was in every way, tumultuous. The past year of her five-year stint in the industry has been particularly noteworthy for the appreciation that she has received down south for her Telugu film debut, Sita Ramam.

Thakur’s foray into the south film industry, she says, was driven by her hunger to explore a different kind of cinema. “As an actor, if you don’t have the appetite to accept new challenges, find ways to reinvent [yourself], and be open to different kinds of work, you will become irrelevant, far too soon. I began working in television, then did indie films, commercial films, and south movies. I have worked in three languages, and have committed myself to trying things that excite me. This hunger is what has helped me get where I am today,” says the actor who is currently in the midst of filming VD13, alongside Vijay Deverakonda.

While Thakur has not shied away from discussing how certain industries have failed to utilise her talent, she has continued to hone her skills by allowing herself to be unrestricted while selecting projects.

“There are numerous languages of cinema to be part of, and so many genres that excite me. I’m ready to experiment and immerse myself in the diversity that the world of films offers. I will not be restricted by the conventional expectations imposed on actors. There is an unwritten rule that states that stars should refrain from venturing into certain spaces, or doing certain roles, but I refuse to accept such cliched ideas. I’d rather shatter the preconceived limitations of my profession and plunge head-first into exploring different creative avenues.”