Mumbai: Actress Khushi Mukherjee is all set to appear in an upcoming film alongside a Bollywood actor. In an exclusive conversation with IANS, she opened up about how she deals with criticism. She also shared how she landed the role in the film and spoke candidly about her experience with casting couch in the industry.
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00:00Talking about you as an actor, you are working with Arbas Khan now, so what is the reason that you do this?
00:08Well, I won't say that this was really very much planned.
00:14It was just that I wanted to do something better so I had taken a leap from my web series which I was doing earlier
00:24and I was just focusing on my dancing skills and then all of a sudden I got this offer and I grabbed on to it.
00:33It's very much of a manifestation thing I can say.
00:37To all critics and the finished labels, Kushi you have been labelled finished multiple times but you have always launched that.
00:44What do you say to this? Who still doubt your comeback? Is there anyone in the industry whose criticisms stand the most?
00:53Well, see I am very strong headed. What people talk about me or what people tell me doesn't really affect me much
01:02because this is how the beginning of my career was. When I was in school, I was just three or four years old
01:11when I decided that I wanted to be an actress and as I grew up, since I was one of the toppers of my batchmates,
01:20so people used to troll me saying that I look nerdy and I used to wear aspects and braces.
01:27People used to body shame me. So nobody believed that I could ever be what I wanted to.
01:33But I had that confidence and I knew that wherever I want to reach, I will.
01:40People did finish me, people did label me as I am finished or whatever, but it was never that.
01:47I always took decisions from my heart. I did whatever I felt like.
01:53So I did Maito shows, I did movies, I did reality shows and then I went for something bold as well.
02:01Because I wanted to experiment as an actress.
02:04Yes, while shifting from bold series to Bollywood, people forgot actually that I could act or I am a good actress as well.
02:17And once there was an incident that happened, so I would not name someone.
02:23So they just messaged me. He was one of the Bollywood directors and he was like, Kushi, would you like to do a movie?
02:29I was like, yeah, surely. So do you want me to do a dance number in it?
02:35And he was like, no, I want you to be one of the main leads.
02:38I was like, oh, wow. Okay, sure. So he's like, when, when could you come down for a meeting?
02:42I said, okay, I'll, I'll come down today itself.
02:45I went to his office, then he started talking to me and then, and then later on, he's like, you know what, you've done a couple of shows, which you shouldn't have done.
02:57I mean, I would have loved offering you the lead role for my movie, but then I don't know, how should I convince my finances?
03:04Do you personally want to convince them? And I'm like, what?
03:08I just felt for a moment that it's okay. It's not that something he found out at that moment that I am doing bold shows or bold series.
03:18He knew earlier as well, and he could have simply told that to me on phone.
03:23And why would he waste my time and his time as well?
03:26So that was the moment I felt a little hurt, but I did not express it to him.
03:32And I, I, I kept dancing and I, I always believed in my talent.
03:37So I, I, I, I, I, obviously I am a human being. I do have emotions, but it's okay.
03:45I, I think my belief stood by me and I stood by my belief and finally I got what I wanted to.
03:52Breaking the boldness stereotype, you have mentioned breaking the stereotype by actors who take a bold role.
03:59Can't make it, can't make it too mainstream.
04:02So do you think boldness is misunderstood in the industry?
04:05And does that have unnecessary pressure on actors like yourself?
04:09Earlier, I think there was a thin line when film industry people would not consider people from television
04:17or they would categorize bold actor, bold film actors, I would say.
04:22See as an actress who did not don on to a bikini or who did not perform a kissing scene.
04:31I think very few might have not, but if you are talented, if you are a good actor or if you are good with your skills,
04:42I don't think that should set you back. So I don't think so.
04:47We have mentioned that your dream of working with Shah Rukh Khan.
04:51If you had to choose, would you rather share screen space with SRK in a romantic drama or in a high action thriller?
04:57In a romantic drama, of course, because the reason why I wanted to be an actress is because of Shah Rukh Khan.
05:05I saw Shah Rukh Khan when I was three years old, maybe in Kolkata, three or four years old.
05:11He came down for a charity event with Juhi Chawla for Firbi Dile Hindustani.
05:16And the kind of popularity and the fandom he received, that was the moment I decided that I want to be somebody like that.
05:23The reality show appeared in the several popular reality shows. How real is the drama or reality TV?
05:33Are they now scripted for the camera? Could you ever see a reality show pushing your company spin-off?
05:40Well, I would say reality shows are not real, not completely real. Of course, they cannot give you a whole bunch of scripts
05:51that you have to learn and you have to tell them. It keeps a pressure on you.
05:58You have to keep thinking what should my next move be so that you can stay longer in that show.
06:06My first reality show was Splitsvilla season 10. And that was the time when I voted out myself that something like that ever happened in history.
06:15Because I'm going on a date with someone for 10 minutes and you can't force yourself to fall in love with.
06:22And then people started calling me dumb. People started thinking, oh, she doesn't have brain.
06:28Because that was how I was portrayed as. And since I'm so stubborn, I thought of doing another reality show.
06:37One more reality show which was Love School season 3. And yes, a few of the moments, they were pre-planned by me.
06:44That yes, if I do this, I know that people are gonna look at it and all the cuts are gonna be on me.
06:51And that's how I survived till last even without performing the task.
06:55Bold content in South and beyond. So, do you think you have done bold content in both regional films and Hindi TV?
07:02Do you feel regional cinema is more accepting of bold compared to Bollywood? Or is the Bollywood family catching up?
07:08I haven't done anything bold in South. I did a Hindi movie. So, I did 5-6 South Indian movies in the initial days when I started off my career.
07:22Then I was offered a Hindi movie. I was just 18 years old that time. I couldn't decide what to choose and what not to.
07:29And they dubbed it in all the regional languages possible. And they used it.
07:34I think maybe if it would have released at this point of time, the movie would have been quite good.
07:41And it would have done good in the showbiz. But that time it did not.
07:47And yes, it had a little bad impact on my career.
07:51Yeah.
07:52So, do you think dance numbers are more impactful than traditional acting roles in today's cinema?
08:04Not really. An actor can be a dancer. Also, a dancer can be an actor. So, it's vice versa. But it's always like what you like the most. So, I've been dancing since last one and a half years regularly. And I'm a trained Bharat Natyam dancer since I was a kid. So, I wanted to show off that talent of mine. I've been acting since so many years now.
08:28You have described yourself as stubborn and go greater. So, what's the most stubborn thing you have ever done for your career? And was it worth it in your hand?
08:38Finally, I think it was worth it. So, I decided to be an actress since maybe I was not even in first standard. And my parents thought that maybe my mind would change. I was good in studies.
08:51And when I was offered my first movie, I quit my studies after passing out from 11th standard. So, that was a drawback for me. I did not complete my education. I don't even promote that. But now I think it was worth it.
09:08Bold and beautiful in Bollywood. Do you believe the industry has started to embrace boldness more as it still are challenged by actresses like you to push power to push power to you?
09:18So, I believe in this statement that I would rather exploit my glamour rather than getting exploited by anybody else. So, if I have a body or if I have something that I have worked really hard on and if I'm showing it, there's nothing wrong in it.
09:35From South cinema to Bollywood, you have made the transition from South Indian cinema to Bollywood. What's a major difference you have noticed in the way actors have treated in the industry?
09:48I like the discipline that is followed in South Indian cinema. Everything starts on their own time. The pack-up is at their own time and the break and everything. I'm not saying that this is not in Bollywood.
10:01But since I am quite new to Bollywood, I am not able to comment much about it.
10:08Your upcoming film is a Hindi sequel to a highly successful Disney movie. So, do you feel pressured to meet the high expectations set by the original or is it the opportunity to redefine the story?
10:20No, my competition was never with anybody else. It was always me versus me. Like what I'm doing better than what I've done previously. And I think that it was very easy for me to perform on it since it's a Hindi song. I don't think I found any pressure working for it. No.
10:41As a newcomer, if you have no idea or knowledge about the industry, then you have to differentiate the right, genuine, fake.
11:02You don't know how to make-up, how to keep your groom. There's a lot of time. There's a lot of good projects, bad projects, fake auditions. There's a lot of fake meetings.
11:17There's a lot of good projects, bad projects, bad projects, bad projects, bad projects, bad projects, bad projects, bad projects, bad projects, bad projects and bad projects.
11:24Have you faced a casting touch issue in your career?
11:27I think it's not only in our industry, right? It's everywhere. People offer you. People don't rape you. So it's always up to you whether you want to accept it or you don't want to accept it.
11:41Do you think the Me Too movement was all just like a publicity stunt? If something happened with you, you will reciprocate it immediately.
11:59You wouldn't tell it after 5 years, 10 years, 15 years just because it has become a trend. So I don't support it.
12:06Lastly, what's your message to the fans?
12:11I would just want them to shower their love on me just the way they did since last so many years.
12:18It is going to be a new journey for me, a new start for me and I want to thank everyone who kept this belief
12:25saying that you deserve to Bollywood industry and I just want them to go to the theatres and watch me on big screen.