Titas Chowdhury (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 24, 2019)

Anjana Sukhani is excited about the second inning of her life after battling depression for two years. The actor’s happy to be part of a big film like Good Newwz. Talking about landing the film, she says, “I’m a blessed child. I was almost coming out of depression and was thinking of meeting people. It was then that I got a call from Shruti Mahajan (casting director). She told me that she wants me to audition for this really interesting character in a film.”

Anjana says that she knew her part in the film was tailor-made for her. “The day I auditioned, I realised that this character belongs to me. My instincts told me that I’m going to be a part of the film for sure. When they narrated the film to me, I was excited. I would say that Good Newwz fell onto my lap. I didn’t go looking for it but it beautifully happened to me,” she shares.

Anjana says that she has no qualms about auditioning for a project. “I enjoy the process of being auditioned. When you audition, the director, in one moment, knows if it’s working or not. It’s because of the audition that I knew that I’m that character in Good Newwz. She’s intelligent, bubbly and gives a lot of advice and it instantly resonated with me,” she says excitedly.

For the actor, being called for an audition makes her feel validated. She elaborates, “I love to audition. When I was a model, I used to audition for five to six advertisements in a day. In India, we raise eyebrows when a star goes for an audition. But in the West, everyone does it. You should feel grateful that they’re calling you for an audition because they think that you fit the bill. And that’s a big compliment.”

Ask her about sharing screen space with Kareena Kapoor Khan for the second time after Golmaal Returns (2008) and she says, “Bebo’s like wine that gets better with each passing year. She’s so gorgeous! If you look at the camera that’s framing her face, you just can’t get bored. She has that effect on girls, let alone boys. She’s lovely, warm and very humble. We used to share skincare tips and talk about food.”

Anjana Sukhani on being clinically depressed which led to a two-year sabbatical
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 2, 2019)

After Nikkhil Advani’s star-studded Salaam-E-Ishq in 2007 and Rohit Shetty’s Golmaal Returns the following year, Anjana Sukhani has almost faded into oblivion. Her last screen outing was Sunil Grover’s satirical-comedy, Coffee With D, in 2017 and the actress admits the sabbatical was personal.

Around two years ago, she lost her aunt to cancer, then, her maternal grandmother, and admits after that it was hard for her to focus on work. “My maasi was not married, so I was with her in the hospital all the time, including during the chemotherapy sessions. The pain and suffering she went through in that one year changed a lot of things in me,” says the actress who recalls how her “cheerleader” aunt would reward her with a rupee for flawlessly aping Pankaj Kapur’s telly detective Karamchand. “There were other gifts and if she cooked any of my favourite dishes and I wasn’t around to eat them, she always called to let me know I was missed.”

Anjana, however, had no idea she was battling depression till she spoke to her brother. “I kept telling him that some days I felt lost and hated speaking to anyone even on the phone when I was in this dark place, while on other days I was my usual bubbly self. That’s when he suggested that I seek professional help,” she informs.

The actress met a therapist, who made her go through a series of tests, including answering a questionnaire of 180 questions. “They were different situations and I had to react to them. After the results were analysed, they concluded I wasn’t just low but depressed. On the first day, I don’t think my therapist even spoke a word; all I remember is blurting out my feelings in tears. Sometimes, it’s easier to confide in strangers who won’t judge you. The treatment went on for four months and though once in a while, I still have a low day, but I am mostly happy now,” says a relieved Anjana.

Music has played an important part in her therapy. She started learning semi-classical, but eventually focused more on Bollywood singing. Now, she has recorded her first single, a romantic party track which will be out in a few months.

Her big screen sabbatical will also end with Good Newwz, the Karan Johar production which opens on December 27. She plays Akshay Kumar’s sister in the film. “I play a lawyer who advices Varun and Deepti Batra (Akshay and Kareena Kapoor). The minute I heard a certain scene during the audition, I knew it was a cracker of a script,” she laughs. Anjana has worked with Kareena Kapoor in Golmaal Returns and Akshay in Khatron Ke Khiladi.

“I have always told Bebo that when I look at her, I can’t look anywhere else. She is stunning and such an inspiration. And Akshay was a lot of fun.” She will also be seen in the John Abraham and Emraan Hashmi starrer Mumbai Saga. “I haven’t got my due yet but that’s about to change. I believe that one should not leave the queue because the bus is on the way. And I am still standing here,” she signs off.