Karishma Tanna made her showbiz debut with Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi back in 2001 and followed it up with Naagin, Qayaamat Ki Raat and later a role in the Rajkumar Hirani directorial Sanju. After a two decade-long stint in the entertainment industry, Karishma who felt she wasn’t “getting” what she deserves despite her best efforts, transitioned to OTT with Hush Hush in 2022.

She says her latest OTT outing has been “worth all the wait. I am thankful to Hansal Mehta for believing in me and bringing out the best in me.” Excerpts from a chat:

I’m an extrovert but have always been tight-lipped about my work. I never tell my family about my rejections. I never did any networking, never attended award functions all these years. I focused on having my work do all the talking. There are highs and lows in everyone's life, not just actors. The lows make you strong. Experiencing the lows means when you have the highs, you enjoy them. I’ve had my lows, but never lost hope. Sometimes I still feel like I have just arrived.

We shot our jail sequences (of Scoop) at Nyay Mandir (old court premise) in Vadodara. The entire cast and crew enjoyed staying and working there. Some of our finest supporting actors for the jail scenes were from Vadodara. We gorged on the most delectable Gujarati food during the entire schedule.

Actors prefer doing OTT projects as they help you enjoy the creative process without sticking to a set format. Plus, OTT shows often have pathbreaking concepts which help you evolve as an artiste. Since OTT isn’t time-consuming, actors can strike a balance between personal and professional space. OTT has offered a fantastic platform to actors from various mediums (films, theatre or television) and languages and has been a game-changer for so many actors.

Television has been like home to me, whatever I have achieved so far in my career is because of it. I have enjoyed playing different characters and doing different formats (fiction and reality) on the small screen. I am aware of the popularity and reach of TV, but I had to take a break from TV, so that I could expand my horizons. My stint on TV is not over, I haven’t quit the medium. But if I were to do a TV show at this stage of my career, it would have to be something mind-blowing.

Being a Gujarati, it will be a homecoming of sorts for me to do a film in my mother tongue. I have been hearing many good things about the Gujarati film industry and I’d love to do a Gujarati project if I am offered a good script. The lines between regional and the Hindi film industries are blurring, and all that matters is a good story and relatable content. If you have a great concept, the world is your platform now.

Basking in the success of her latest web series, Scoop, actor Karishma Tanna Bangera can’t thank audiences enough for the love and appreciation coming her way. In the Hansal Mehta directorial, Tanna essays the role of investigative crime reporter Jagruti Pathak (inspired by the true story of journalist Jigna Vohra), who is framed in the murder of a senior fellow crime journalist. Having been a part of OTT projects such as Guilty Minds and Hush Hush, after several TV shows and a few films, the 39-year-old tells us it’s only now that showrunners are realising her true potential and offering her substantial roles. Excerpts:

I do feel underrated. Nobody has tapped my full potential till now. Just because I’ve done glamorous roles in the past and played characters on TV shows where I had to overact, everybody assumed that I am only capable of that. [This is why] I feel a little incomplete in this industry. A major reason for this notion is that there are very few directors who don’t typecast you. I hope that now (after Scoop), audiences take me seriously as an actor and I get more opportunities to prove that I’m capable of doing even better. I deserve more.

I struggled a lot when there was no OTT. But now, people are seeing past the image that the industry had created of me. The web space has been a game changer for actors from the TV industry, such as myself. It’s all because of OTT that viewers are finally appreciating my craft.

These tags bother me, especially in the case of TV celebs because the [film] industry has preconceived notions about them. So yes, getting rid of the tag and entering the web space was a struggle. I had to take a break from television, learn more about my craft and then start afresh on OTT.

Validation — unlike TV, where no matter how much effort you put in, there is no appreciation. Secondly, the scripts of web projects are written in much more detail, which gives you time and space to focus on the nuances. You live with the character and there is enough time to build it. That’s why, when I’m shooting for an OTT show, there’s much more happiness to perform, which I don’t feel on any other platform.

Actor Karishma Tanna tied the knot with Mumbai-based businessman Varun Bangera on February 5. Before the wedding, she was quite tight-lipped about everything related to it. Now she’s finally opening up about the intimate ceremony that took place in Mumbai.

“It was really good,” Tanna says, adding, “I was particular about how I’d look, the decor, my makeup and everything else. I wanted to ensure that I looked different and that the whole setup was something that had never been seen before. You only get married once, mostly (laughs). So you need to make the best of it.” 

Talking about the moment when she walked down the aisle, i.e., towards the mandap, the 38-year-old says, “I wanted to pinch myself at that moment. I wondered if I was really the bride! It wasn’t sinking [that I was getting married] even when the haldi and mehendi ceremonies had started. Till that point, it was just a regular party; we were chilling. But when I started wearing my (wedding) outfit... I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is [really] happening’! I didn’t get any wedding jitters, but I felt the butterflies in my stomach as I started walking [towards the mandap]. It was a beautiful feeling to start a new chapter in life with my man.”

The actor says she was eagerly waiting to get married. “I’ve been single for almost a donkey’s years. So I was looking forward to becoming a Mrs. And a Mrs to such a beautiful partner. They say achhe kaam mein waqt lagta hai, and I felt that,” she gushes and reveals that her wedding had only “80-100 guests”. Tanna says, “That is the best thing that Coronavirus has done, make it an intimate affair. I always wanted a small yet fancy wedding.”

Since the actor is a self-confessed perfectionist, probe her if she picked the outfit for the groom, and she exclaims: “Of course.” She adds, “It was a mutual decision too, like we picked the colours.” 

Talking about how she didn’t shed a tear at all during her wedding but her mum did, Tanna says, “She did cry, as she was giving away her daughter. But then, my maayka and sasural are in the same building, so she is okay now.”

Dancing to the tune of a remixed song is unlike dancing to iconic dialogues turned into lyrics, feels Karishma Tanna.

The actor is enjoying the feedback for her dance number Basanti in the upcoming film, Suraj Pe Mangal Bhari. The lyrics Basanti aaj in kutton ke saamne na naach are from a popular dialogue from the Ramesh Sippy directed iconic film Sholay (1975). “As the lyrics are from a famous dialogue, I was most excited to recreate them with this modern twist. The legendary Hema Malini ji has been our favourite Basanti over the years and nobody can ever change that, so it was definitely an overwhelming feeling for me to step into this new Basanti’s shoes and groove to the song which I thoroughly enjoyed,” says Tanna, who feels the song is catchy and peppy with a fun and sexy vibe to it.

In the song, she has actor Manoj Bajpayee for company which she admits was amazing. “He is a powerhouse of talent and someone who I learnt so much from through the course of our shoot, which I am extremely grateful for. He was full of energy on set and such a lovely human being. It was an absolute pleasure to share the screen with him,” she says.

The actor, who has been part of a number of hit TV shows and a few films including Sanju (2018), says she loves dance numbers as they are great exposure in films. “They are a learning experience for the big screen. Moreover, if the song is good then you end being a part of a hit number. I am someone who enjoys and loves dancing, especially to fun numbers like these, so for me being a part of such songs works out perfectly well. I am looking forward to being a part of more songs like this one in the future, too,” she signs off.

Karishma Tanna and Upen Patel's romance that began on a reality show six months ago, has now blossomed with Upen proposing to Karishma on Star Plus' Nach Baliye Season 7 that will air tonight at 8 pm. Not everyone believed that this couple was truly in love, including judge Chetan Bhagat, who at the beginning of the show, even said he wasn't sure if this was a real or a reel life couple.

But now with Upen proposing to Karishma in the presence of their families, Chetan too has changed his stance. He said, “Before the shoot started, I had heard rumours about Karishma and Upen being a fake couple and putting on an act only to be in Nach Baliye. I decided to test them on this - whether they were a real couple or a reality couple. However, the rumours have been proven wrong with Upen proposing marriage to Karishma on national television. This is as real as it gets!“

Actress Aishwarya Sakhuja's husband Rohit Nag, also a participant on the show, said, “Thank God, I proposed to Ash a year ago as after seeing Upen's proposal in front of the entire world, every girl's expectations from their boyfriend will rise!“ We spoke to Upen and Karishma over the phone about their decision to take their relationship to another level...

Upen, why did you choose national television to propose to Karishma?
We have been together for six months now. Karishma has come to London and met my family and they liked her. I have been wanting to do something really romantic for her and I felt this could be the most romantic gesture. I am glad it was possible with the help of our families and the makers of the show and the channel.

Any wedding plans soon?
Yes, we plan to get married by the end of this year. We'll have a ceremony in London and one in India.

What do you have to say to those who feel this romance is not for real?
The only person I have to prove my love to is the person I am in love with. I understand people's scepticism but going by my graph, one will know that I have always been true to my work, true to myself and true to the people I care for.

Karishma, what was your reaction when he proposed?
Upen built it up so well. I was literally shitting in my pants when he said he wanted to say something to me. But this is indeed one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I felt like a princess.

Do you worry about any culture differences coming between the two of you in the future, since Upen was raised in London?
I felt very good meeting his family. They are just like us... his grandparents like Gujju food and they still speak in Gujarati. I have always had this thing that I'd never marry a firang. I didn't want some one who is not familiar with our culture. But in Upen's case, we are very similar.

Soon, will we see Upen pick up Karishma's Indian accent or Karishma go the Upen way?
I think I will go the Upen way (laughs). But you know what? Earlier, he would speak one or two words in Gujarati, now he has graduated to three to four sentences!

What do you have to say to your detractors who feel all of this is just for TRPs?
I can just tell them God bless you all and seriously, get a life! I'm not desperate to bring my personal life into focus for TRPs. I have seen much more than that.

THE PROPOSAL
Upen said he had something to ask Karishma. “You are scaring me...,“ she replied and that's when the audience raised placards stating 'Will you marry me?' Little girls dressed in white gowns came on stage with white flowers and placards that read 'Please marry him'. Karishma cried. Upen then called her mother and sister on stage to join him. He went down on his knees and proposed; Karishma said a yes and he made her wear a ring. Her mother had brought a ring for Upen as well. His family from London appeared on screen (Skype) and everyone witnessed this proposal.

Nach Baliye Season 7 airs every Sunday at 8 pm on Star Plus.