Showing posts with label Sayani Gupta interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sayani Gupta interview. Show all posts
Professionalism begins with respecting everyone’s time-Sayani Gupta
10:39 AM
Neha Maheshwri (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 13, 2025)
In an industry known for long hours and rigid hierarchies, Sayani Gupta believes real progress will come only when time and labour are valued equally across film sets. “Everybody works hard. Yes, acting is a taxing job if you’re doing it right, but the person carrying huge lights and travelling long distances by train is working far harder than the actors do,” she says.
For her, professionalism begins with respect. “Professionalism begins with respecting everyone’s time. If you have a meeting with a CEO or a big director, you make sure you are not late because of their social standing. But when the meeting is with someone considered lower in the hierarchy, people feel they can afford to be late. Punctuality should come from valuing every person equally, not from where they stand socially.”
She admits filmmaking is unpredictable, but believes basic systems can still be improved. “In my 14 years in the industry, I have been on only three or four sets where people are not racing to finish the day… Most of the time, you are working against the odds… sticking to the schedule is almost impossible.”
Even essentials, she says, are inconsistently managed. “There has to be some system in place, whether it is paying overtime or ensuring that fundamentals are taken care of. Even basics like access to clean bathrooms for women, hygiene, courtesy, fair segregation within departments, and food arrangements are inconsistent. People are sometimes served different types of food based on hierarchy.”
For Sayani, it ultimately comes down to fairness. “Everybody here works hard… But there should be equity in the way people are treated, whether it is pay parity, minimum wage or working hours. A streamlined approach would help everyone.”
Everyone else suffers because people are coming four hours late-Sayani Gupta
8:42 AM
Taking the stipulated work hours debate forward, ‘Delhi Crime 3’ actor Sayani Gupta says star system is the root problem as several A-listers come hours late on sets
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; November 10, 2025)
Sayani Gupta starts our conversation with a disclaimer. “I haven’t watched seasons one and two,” says the actor, who has joined Delhi Crime’s upcoming third season. Before we can ask why, she explains that the self-built distance from the acclaimed series, led by Shefali Shah, has a deeper cause. “I haven’t seen season one because I still feel triggered. Everyone says it’s so well-done and well-researched,” she shares. The opening season, created by Richie Mehta, was based on the 2012 Delhi gang-rape case.
Two editions later, when director Tanuj Chopra, who is also Gupta’s friend, offered her the Netflix series, it was an opportunity to be a part of an important story. The icing on the cake? Working with friends. “Every time Tanuj and I spoke [about the character], we were on the same page. Plus, it was a long-time wish to work with Rasika Dugal, who is like my sister,” she smiles.
Our conversation then veers into the ongoing discourse about unregulated work hours in the industry. Gupta has worked 20 hours, even 22, at a stretch. She admits those were aberrations, but the norm isn’t too healthy either. “For actors, someone drives us to and back from the sets. Except maybe 10 people on set, everyone is commuting by public transport. A lot of them are taking trains at night that don’t run after 1 am. [So, how will they commute in case of overtime?] There is no weekly off sometimes; it’s exploitative.”
She notes that one fundamental change is required — dismantling of the star system. “Actors in our country are undisciplined. Men and women, irrespective, if you’re given a call time, come on time. The problem is the star system. So, we have to say, ‘You could be an actor, but you’re as important as the guy doing the clap.’ Everyone else suffers because people are coming four hours late.”
Sayani Gupta believes having intimacy coordinators makes things awkward
3:17 PM
Despite working with professionals who taught her tricks to shoot intimate scenes, Sayani Gupta, who plays a part in her next, isn’t always in favour of their appointment
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 6, 2024)
The makers of Khwaabon Ka Jhamela have easily hit the bull’s eye by casting Sayani Gupta in the film that revolves around a finance whiz (played by Prateik Babbar) and a spirited intimacy coordinator, Ruby. After all, Gupta, who plays the role of the latter, has worked with several intimacy coordinators in her previous films, and has also taught her peers the art of filming tricky scenes.
“We had a professional on set in 2013 while shooting Margarita With A Straw. Back then, this was an alien concept, but director Shonali Bose got Monsoon Bisell and Adil Hussain to work with Kalki Koechlin and me. Later, we also had another intimacy coordinator, Aastha Khanna Bhardwaj, on board for Four More Shots Please. Having worked with them, I jokingly say that I have a PhD in the subject.”
Gupta has also taught her peers the tricks to shoot graver sequences in which violence may also be involved. “I have been part of scenes that were intimate and violent. Off screen, I have worked as a coordinator too. So, for this film, I didn’t have to undergo any prep work. I always say that the best research comes from life’s experiences. Of course, workshops and rehearsals help.”
Though the addition of intimacy coordinators on film sets may easily be seen as among the most progressive steps that the industry has taken to cater to women’s safety, Gupta isn’t always in favour of their appointment.
“Sometimes, it is great to work with one, but at times, having them on the set comes in the way of doing scenes in an organic way. As an actor, I know the kind of conversations I must have with my co-actor, and the presence of a coordinator makes things awkward. It can also hamper the flow of a scene that is naturally unfolding with two actors who share the same wavelength.”
As for Danish Aslam’s romcom that releases online on Jio Cinema on November 8, Gupta admits that no intimate scenes are involved. She describes it as a tale of two people who are “equally strange” in their own ways. “The film delivers a message but doesn’t get too serious. It talks about inclusivity and gay pride. We shot at a pride parade, so the film is truly inclusive and open; a celebration of love,” she says of the movie that reunites her with Babbar after the show, Four More Shots Please.
“I recommended Prateik for it. I had already come on board, and Danish was looking to cast for his role. We share chemistry on screen because we are good buddies in real life. We constantly make fun of each other and have seen each other [evolve] in certain ways.”
Pay parity is very lopsided. It is hierarchical and very problematic-Sayani Gupta
8:25 AM
Actor Sayani Gupta wishes for changes to seep into the industry, starting with a fair pay structure
Sugandha Rawal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 24, 2022)
For the longest time, actors have been speaking out about gender equality as well as parity. But many believe that not much has changed in the entertainment industry. Actor Sayani Gupta, who has always been vocal, shares, “There have been conversations... But I don’t think it’s really there in practice.”
She continues, “Pay parity is very lopsided. It is hierarchical and very problematic. Actors don’t get paid as much as they should. I am not talking about stars… They are always trying to cut costs when it comes to paying actors.”
The Four More Shots Please! actor admits that the backbone of films, writers, too, don’t get paid as much. She mentions, “Writers don’t get paid as much as they should, and it is not about the five biggest writers in the industry.”
There is no denying that the fee structure of the film industry is skewed, and Gupta asserts that it is “in terms of class”. “A film set is very hierarchical, with a kind of pyramid structure, where it becomes lopsided when it comes to the fee structures. So, I really hope that in our lifetime, we are able to see a more fair pay structure,” says the actor.
After starting her journey in the industry in 2010, she has explored varied stories and characters, which also shines bright in her project report from last year, with names such as Pagglait, Kaali Peeli Tales and Inside Edge Season 3.
Opening up about it, the 36-year-old shares, “In the middle of last year, I started feeling extremely uninspired with the quality of work around me. Then, in the last couple of months, it has been exciting workwise… The lineup is good this year. But that doesn’t mean, I am satisfied as an artist.”
After spending two decades in the industry now, she wants to be undeniable. “I am not coming from a point of pomposity or ego. In the past, when I used to audition for a project, I was told, ‘It was good, but didn’t work out’. I don’t understand why. I want to be at a stage where, if I give an audition for anything, and I am good at it, then nobody else is able to deny me the opportunity,” the actor concludes.
The female gaze will help change the narrative in the industry-Sayani Gupta
7:59 AM
Amrita Prasad (BOMBAY TIMES; March 19, 2021)
‘IT’S ABOUT TIME THAT THE PORTRAYAL OF FEMALE CHARACTERS IN FILMS AND TV SHOWS CHANGED’
Sayani has feature films, short films and web series to her credit and she says that working with women directors, writers, and actors is inspiring. She says, “I think the narratives of our shows and films need to change. Aren’t we tired of seeing unrealistic heroes on the screen? Incidentally, I read a quote that said, ‘You don’t see as many fantastic men in real life as you see on screen, and you never see as many fantastic women on screen as you see in real life.’ And that is so true.”
“The constant hetero-normative narrative that has been fed to us through popular cinema, where the unimaginable glorious hero comes to save everyone, is problematic. The women are given the side dish. They are constantly playing the subversions or a subdivision of a narrative which, again, is extremely problematic. So, we as women, must do stuff for ourselves and I think the female gaze in helping change the narrative,” asserts the actress. Sayani urges that it is time to change the way female characters are portrayed.
‘GOOD WORK MATTERS, THE LENGTH OF A ROLE DOESN’T’
For Sayani, it’s not the length of the role that matters, but the gravitas that it brings to the table. She says, “I do independent films where I play the protagonist, and, at the same time, play relatively smaller parts in big films, both with equal zest.
However, I do hope to get big parts in big films. As long as you have enough to do and you’re good at it, you must make something out of it. When I say this, I don’t mean you hog the limelight, but do a commendable job and make your presence felt.”
Ask her if she would like to play a real-life character on screen, and Sayani replies, “I wanted to play Shakuntala Devi for the longest time. I never expressed it out loud fearing someone might take the idea. But Anu Menon had already made a film on the math genius with Vidya Balan in the lead. So that’s done now. But I would like to play Maa Sarada Devi in a film someday. I think she was a feminist, visionary, and, in many ways, tutored and helped push human rights, gender movement and the feminist movement.” Sayani adds that she wants people to know her for the work and look at her with dignity.
‘IT’S UNFAIR THAT MILIND SOMAN LOOKS SO GOOD WITHOUT ANY MAKE-UP’
The actress has shared screen space with Milind Soman in a web series and she fondly describes him as ‘childlike’. Speaking about him, she says, “He is enormously good looking, and it is a little unfair that he looks so stunning without any make-up! You just put him in any frame and his good looks do the magic.”
She further adds, “He is like a child in many ways. When we were shooting, I kept scolding him for not reading his script and not knowing his lines and he would be like, ‘Ab kya ho raha hai?’ We also bonded over our mutual love for travelling, food and sweets. We both are rice eaters and we enjoyed Bengali sweets and all kinds of desserts.”
I am not a person who enjoys celebrating birthdays; I hate cutting birthday cakes-Sayani Gupta
12:17 PM
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 10, 2020)
Sayani Gupta has gone to Goa to ring in her birthday. The actor turned a year older yesterday and enjoyed “being away from the city”. “I have some lovely friends here, so it is nice, and I am happy to be in a place that is so calming,” she says, adding that she didn’t do anything special for her birthday this year.
“I am not a person who enjoys celebrating birthdays. It is a weird day as you feel the pressure to do something when in fact, it is a normal day. I hate cutting birthday cakes (laughs). Moreover, I hate planning. Just chilling in the Jacuzzi, the pool and going for drives works for me. Having a chill and peaceful day with some good food is the best,” she shares.
While she is not in Mumbai, on her birthday, she made arrangements to distribute sanitary pads for girls at an orphanage. Sayani says, “We’re still afar from making pads affordable for women, and it’s distressing to think that some of us have to use cheap alternatives. In fact, it’s my goal to reach safe organic sanitary pads to girls all over Mumbai, and then eventually, all over India. It’s a relief to work with people who want to make the world a slightly more liveable place, and want to help the underprivileged.”
My character undergoes 17 restorative surgeries in The Good Karma Hospital-Sayani Gupta
8:13 AM
The latest addition to British medical drama The Good Karma Hospital, Sayani Gupta on playing an acid attack survivor
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; March 24, 2020)
Following up her stints in Indian web shows like Four More Shots Please and Inside Edge 2 with the upcoming third edition of the British medical drama, The Good Karma Hospital, Sayani Gupta will slip into the part of a nurse named Jyoti in the Amanda Redman-fronted series.
Gupta, who shot with British actors and a Sri Lankan crew, tells mid-day, "My [character] undergoes 17 restorative surgeries and prosthetics were used in every stage. Davy Jones, a BAFTA winner prosthetics genius, and Abby did some ground-breaking work. I also learnt a great deal from Graham Frame, one of the most senior cinematographers in Britain. This British and Sri Lankan crew was magnanimous and wonderful. We had such a beautiful time shooting in Sri Lanka."
The series, set in a Kerala hospital and shot in Galle, also features James Floyd, Neil Morrissey, Amrita Acharya and Nimmi Harasgama. It has been helmed by Philip John and John Mckay.
Meanwhile, Gupta is gearing up for the release of the second season of Amazon Prime's Four More Shots Please, which is slated for an April 17 release.
Playing a Nepalese woman in Axone was challenging-Sayani Gupta
7:53 AM
Sayani Gupta talks about her role in as a Nepalese woman in a satirical drama; reveals she was drawn to the project as it authentically represents people from North East India
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 1, 2019)
Getting into the skin of the character is important for Sayani Gupta and that’s why she didn’t mind looking the part of a Nepali woman in her next film, a bittersweet satirical drama, Axone. The film has been screened at many film festivals and appreciated by the audiences. When Sayani read the script, which was recommended to her, she was sure she wanted to do the film written and directed by Nicholas Kharkongor. “It helped that he was a good friend of Kalki’s (Koechiln, actor) and came highly recommended,” says the actor, who has worked in films such as Margarita With A Straw (2015), Fan (2016), Jolly LLB 2 (2017) and Article 15.
Sayani feels “fortunate” to have done films with varied roles and says that playing a Nepalese woman was challenging for her. “I have close friends who are from the Northeast and also speak Nepali. I wanted to be authentic. Also, I was the only non-North Eastern person in the unit. So, the pressure to ‘fit in’ was double (laughs). The fact that I looked like a Nepali helped, but it was only once I got into the look that everyone was convinced that I was actually Nepali. I would read the entire script daily and was extra careful with every word I spoke. Even during the dubbing, Nicholas and I discussed the authenticity of every spoken word. This film is very unique and special cause Nicholas actually wrote a brilliant script, which was super funny. And the fact that it’s probably the first ever mainstream film which authentically represents people from North East India,” says the actor.
The actor has been part of biggies and small-budget films. Ask her how does she feel about her films that do the rounds of festivals vis-a-vis films that she promotes extensively and she says, “Honestly, I don’t enjoy promotions. But, I do enjoy travelling with my film to festivals as you get a firsthand response from audiences from different parts of the world. It’s absolutely unparalleled.”
I’ve worked with over 13 women directors now-Sayani Gupta
8:47 AM
Kenneth Carneiro (Zee Media Newsroom | DNA; August 25, 2019)
Posham Pa‘s, Sayani Gupta, has been making rapid strides by picking unique characters on web series as well as films. She was last seen on the big screen in the social drama ‘Article 15‘. In the film ‘Posham Pa’ she plays the role of one of the serials killers who were the first women to be given a death penalty by the supreme court. Watch the trailer of the movie that will send a chill down your spine.
We sit down for a chat with Sayani Gupta and the first thing that stands out is the drastic transformation she underwent to get her look for the film.
You almost look unrecognizable from the poster. How did you settle on the look for the film? Did you have any references?
So I think, Suman Da (Suman Mukhopadhyay) had a few references in mind and he sent me a few photos. I was very kicked about it. I told him I will work out my dates and everything if you get this look right. Prashant Doiphode is a fantastic prosthetic guy. He and his team put the look together and it would take four hours to get into it. I had a hair and make up team Sahitya and Dipali. So around 8 or 9 people came together to make this look happen every morning.
You’ve been known to pick characters that interest you. So what made you pick the character of a serial killer on Posham Pa?
Honestly, I’ve been wanting to work with the director Suman da. For some reason or the other it was not happening. Finally when he called me for Posham Pa, he told me it’s a story of a serial killer and it’s also a story of a mother and her two daughters. Immediately I thought it was exciting. Then he sent me the looks because I play a 17-year-old, 22-year-old and a 28-year-old. Then I read the script and I knew it was something I had never done before and won’t come my way everyday. That’s when I knew I had to do it.
Posham Pa has an all female leading cast. Another web-series you’ve done has 4 women in the leading role. Is this a conscious decision?
It is not a conscious decision at all, but I have worked with a lot of women directors too. I’ve worked with over 13 women directors now. Even Posham Pa is written by a woman so it’s a perspective which I empathise with more. I don’t think it’s a conscious decision but I think I am more attracted to female characters that are more fleshed out.
Is there any difference from being on other sets?
So there’s a difference, I think. Women are more meticulous and methodical. But on the other hand, I feel like if you go on a male-dominated set which is mostly any other set, you don’t ask how was it to be on a male-dominated set. So I feel like it’s a little unfair to ask.
Posham Pa is based on true incidents. Did you hear about your character before you got the movie?
Yeah Suman Da had told me about them before sending the script. When I read the script I was happy to know that Suman Da had the same approach to the characters. So even though I didn’t read up on the characters, I grew up watching crime thrillers and criminal psychology. I’ve always been interested in why do people behave in certain ways which are crazy from a normal point of view.
You had also mentioned that even these characters need to be represented in movies…
Of course, every kind of person, even criminals need to be represented in our films. And it’s the right kind of representation. I’m hoping this is the right kind of representation. It’s more about the human side of criminals and the world they belong to and the reasons they become who they are. The writer Nimisha had a lot of first-hand experience. She met the people and families close to the criminals. I made her sit in my vanity van while the make-up was going on and found out about all her research.
Posham Pa the movie name is based on a childhood game. What childhood games did you play?
So I never played Posham Pa, but we played game like Land and water. I was a very athletic kid so I also played games like Kho-Kho, Throwball. I also used to be a sprinter in school. In fact, I had to run for a scene in the movie. So I said I would run instead of the body double. So I ran and there were 5 or 6 cops running behind me. I ran so fast they were all shocked because I really sprinted.
The movie looks very dark and intense. Did that mood remain on set as well?
I mean sometimes it was really gloomy because we were shooting in a children’s rehab centre. It was even raining on that day. So it was eerie and gloomy that day. But otherwise we were bonding well on the set. Ravi the DOP was a friend from FTII, even Suman Da, Ragini and Mahie we bonded well on the sets, cracked jokes. We were quite comfortable with each other.
(With inputs from Ayushi Sharma)
Posham Pa Stars Sayani Gupta, Mahie Gill and Ragini Khanna in leading roles. (Source: ZEE5)
Sayani Gupta is Ranbir Kapoor’s 14-year-old co-star in Jagga Jasoos
7:55 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 4, 2017)
Sayani Gupta, who packed a punch with her brief turn in Jolly LLB 2 as a pregnant woman, can easily pass off as someone in her early 20s. But for her next outing, the 31-year-old has shaved off a good decade and a half. The actress plays a 14-year-old in Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif-starrer Jagga Jasoos.
Says Sayani, “It’s the best casting of my life. I love Dada (director Anurag Basu) for having the imagination to see me as a little girl. I enjoyed his audition process; it was so simple. He is quite a genius and this character will always be close to my heart. People who have seen me in the look can’t believe that I am not a teen anymore.”
Not much is known about her part in Jagga Jasoos currently, but we hear, it is a pivotal role. Quiz her about the look and she elaborates, “I remember I had cut my hair short for the audition. Dada was quite surprised because actors don’t do these things before getting the part. Once I went on set on the first day of shoot and we were deciding my character’s look, I insisted that I cut my hair to a little bob.”
While RK’s hair stylist, Ajay, was excited to chop her locks, Basu wasn’t too convinced. “I had the look so vividly in mind that with Ranbir’s help, I finally managed to persuade Dada. [Eventually] He was happy with it. Then I got stuck in this short haircut for over two years, and I loved it.”
Kalki and I went through an 'Intimacy Workshop'-Sayani Gupta
7:57 AM
From playing a blind lesbian to a narrator in a Ranbir KapoorKatrina Kaif starrer, Sayani Gupta traces her filmy journey
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 3, 2015)
When Sayani Gupta
graduated from Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in
2010, with a degree in acting, she was looking at an uncertain
future. Countless auditions and three years later, she was all set to
return home to Kolkata when she was offered Shonali Bose's
Margarita,With A Straw.
She plays Khanum, a visually challenged activist in New York, who begins an affair with Laila, Kalki Koechilin's wheelchair-bound character who is suffering from cerebral palsy. “Despite being blind, Khanum lives life to the fullest. Laila spots her protesting on the streets of Manhattan and immediately takes a fancy to her,“ Sayani explains.
Their lovemaking scene initially irked the Indian censors, but was eventually retained by a more progressive Revising Committee. Prod her it and Sayani says that it is an integral part of the film. “And it was no big deal for me. I do my part and forget about it,“ she shrugs. “Both Kalki and I went through an 'Intimacy Workshop' with New York based therapist, Monsoon, so that we could better understand the give-and-take equation in the sexual relationship. My eyes were shut and Kalki was on her wheelchair most of the time. We both had to come to terms with our disabilities. Shonali made sure that we didn't see the monitor after the scenes was shot.“
She admits that she'd thought most cinemagoers would brush off her Hindi debut as a festival film, saying, “Mujhko toh samajh nahi aaya.“ But things took a hopeful turn after the NETPAC win at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. It was the only Indian film to win an award at the prestigious fest and got rave reviews at the 58th BFI London Film Festival.
Now, Sayani has bagged Anurag Basu's Jagga Jasoos, co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. She plays the sutradhar, the narrator. But won't she be overshadowed by the offscreen lovers? Sayani retorts, “I want to work and be seen in films. Jagga Jasoos will get a big release. I don't have to wait for the makers to find takers. Anurag thought I was worried that the part wasn't too big, more so because Ranbir and Katrina are on board. But it's a special character and I'm happy to be a part of the project.“
She plays Khanum, a visually challenged activist in New York, who begins an affair with Laila, Kalki Koechilin's wheelchair-bound character who is suffering from cerebral palsy. “Despite being blind, Khanum lives life to the fullest. Laila spots her protesting on the streets of Manhattan and immediately takes a fancy to her,“ Sayani explains.
Their lovemaking scene initially irked the Indian censors, but was eventually retained by a more progressive Revising Committee. Prod her it and Sayani says that it is an integral part of the film. “And it was no big deal for me. I do my part and forget about it,“ she shrugs. “Both Kalki and I went through an 'Intimacy Workshop' with New York based therapist, Monsoon, so that we could better understand the give-and-take equation in the sexual relationship. My eyes were shut and Kalki was on her wheelchair most of the time. We both had to come to terms with our disabilities. Shonali made sure that we didn't see the monitor after the scenes was shot.“
She admits that she'd thought most cinemagoers would brush off her Hindi debut as a festival film, saying, “Mujhko toh samajh nahi aaya.“ But things took a hopeful turn after the NETPAC win at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014. It was the only Indian film to win an award at the prestigious fest and got rave reviews at the 58th BFI London Film Festival.
Now, Sayani has bagged Anurag Basu's Jagga Jasoos, co-starring Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. She plays the sutradhar, the narrator. But won't she be overshadowed by the offscreen lovers? Sayani retorts, “I want to work and be seen in films. Jagga Jasoos will get a big release. I don't have to wait for the makers to find takers. Anurag thought I was worried that the part wasn't too big, more so because Ranbir and Katrina are on board. But it's a special character and I'm happy to be a part of the project.“
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