”˜Success and failure is part of this profession ”˜: actress Saiyami Kher
By Neeru Saluja
Actress Saiyami Kher is riding high on the success of her film ”˜Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai’ as it scores the charts of top 10 on Netflix India. Since her much-talked-about debut in Rakesh Omprakash Mehra’s film Mirzya opposite Anil Kapoor’s son Harshvardhan, Saiyami has been waiting to work with director Anurag Kashyap on ”˜Choked’.
“Anurag sent me the script way back in 2017 and when I read the script I was completely drawn into Sarita’s world. Her character from a Mumbai middle class household was beautifully captured by the writer Nihit Bhave. This role was very exciting for a young actor like me who has just done 2-3 films. With a character like Sarita to explore and to collaborate work with Anurag, I just wanted to grab it with both hands,” tells Saiyami as she talks to us right after the release of the film.
Contrary to her glamourous debut, Saiyami plays the role of a simpleton bank clerk who is struggling to pay the bills and finds a secret source of unlimited cash in her home. Talking about her character, Saiyami is glad that Anurag broke the stereotype glam role for her. “Sarita represents every woman in India who gives up her dreams to make ends meet for her family. She starts working in a mundane bank because her husband doesn’t work. In the process of the film, greed takes over when she finds money. It’s a beautiful process that Sarita goes through so many phases in the film. You can see her upset, frustrated, greedy and happy.”
As Anurag Kashyap portrays a middle-class couple’s struggle with money and matters of heart, Saiyami tells us on how Anurag worked with her to develop her character. “Except for gaining 10 kilos for the film, I did not do any extra preparation. It was his role to get the character out of me. He knows what he can get out of an actor. He knew that I came from a small town Nasik and he only works with people whom he is comfortable with.”
As OTT platforms are currently ruling over cinema, Saiyami is also waiting for the release of her web series opposite Abhishek Bachchan to be released on Amazon Prime. So is OTT platforms the future of films post COVID? “OTT platforms in India are on the rise and now we have no choice but to watch good content sitting at home. I personally feel there will be films made to be released in the theatre. I would not want to watch a ”˜Mission Impossible’ on my laptop or television. I want to experience it on the big screen. But I’m glad that the audience on OTT platforms is increasing and the quality of the content is just getting better. This is an exciting time for actors ahead.
And how else is she keeping herself busy during the lockdown? “I’ve been lucky to come down to my parent’s house, three hours away from Mumbai where we have a farm house. There is a lot to do on the farm and I’m training for the IronWoman and triathlons, so I run around and cycle around the house”, shares Saiyami.
Saiyami has come a long way from her debut and is here to stay. As she describes her journey, she shares her struggle after her dream debut failed. “It’s definitely not been easy. Nothing comes easy, if it did then it would not be fun. I have had my share of struggles. I stood in queues for auditions for 3-4 years and then my debut film did not do well. That started the struggle again to get my foot in the industry. It has been a rollercoaster ride. I’m lucky that I am surrounded by people who keep reminding me on why I started acting. It was for the love of the craft of acting. Success and failure is part of this profession and this gets me back to starting afresh.”
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