The Shy Kid Who Took Bollywood By Storm

Brut India

How did Kriti Sanon go from being a shy child who hid behind her mother to a Bollywood star? She spoke to Brut about her life and dreams in an exclusive interview...

Transcript

00:00I remember when people used to come to my house, I would hide behind my mom's chunni.

00:06So you know those irritating kids who when they're dancing, they are doing proper steps

00:12and everyone else feels like lost. So I was that irritating kid.

00:16When I went for modeling, my mother was actually very like, I don't know how you're going to do this.

00:23This doesn't seem like you fit here.

00:27Hi guys, I'm Priti Sanon for Brute.

00:35I was a very shy kid. I mean, when I was very small, I remember when people used to come to my house,

00:41I would hide behind my mom's chunni.

00:44I was always this studious, nerdy kid who would sit at the back bench only because she was tall.

00:50But otherwise, I mean, I was that person who needs to like finish her course before going for the exams.

01:04Dancing was something that I was always very, very drawn to.

01:07It was something that I really enjoyed.

01:10So at a party, even though I would be like shy and not be amongst the kids who make noise in general,

01:19but whenever it comes to dancing, they would be like,

01:22dance and I would not care. I would just get up and dance.

01:25And Madhuri Dixit has been my favorite.

01:27So you know, those irritating kids who, when they're dancing, they are doing proper steps

01:33and everyone else feels like lost.

01:35So I was that irritating kid and I used to dance on all parties.

01:44When I was in school, I knew that I liked science.

01:47I knew that I liked computer science and I was like, okay, let me be a software engineer,

01:54not knowing what a software engineer would do.

01:56And when I passed out, I was preparing for engineering.

02:01And then I didn't get software engineering in the college that I got in.

02:06I got electronics and communication.

02:08I ended up taking that.

02:10I realized I liked communication bit of it.

02:13But again, I didn't really, my heart was not there.

02:18I did modeling because I just thought that I had the height and I could do it.

02:25So let me just do it as time passed.

02:27When I went for modeling, my mother was actually very like,

02:32I don't know how you're going to do this.

02:34This doesn't seem like you fit here.

02:37When I did my first ramp show, I remember I messed up somewhere in the choreography

02:45and the choreographer was very rude to me.

02:47And she like screamed at me in front of like some 20 models at the end of the show.

02:53And I was just, whenever somebody scolds me, I can just start crying like this.

02:58So I remember sitting in an auto and I was, the moment I sat in the auto, I started crying.

03:05I went back home and I cried to my mother.

03:07So my mother was like, you know, I don't know if this profession is for you.

03:12I don't, I think you need to be like emotionally way stronger.

03:15You need to be like a thick skinned person and all.

03:18And you need to be a lot more confident than what you are.

03:21And I think confidence is something that I gained with time.

03:30I think somewhere mid 2012, I got this offer of Telugu film with Mahesh Babu.

03:40And I don't watch South cinema.

03:43I never did.

03:44I mean, back then I didn't even watch English films.

03:47Like it took me time to start watching all that.

03:49But I auditioned for it.

03:54I went to Hyderabad.

03:55I got that film.

03:57And I, of course, I knew that Mahesh Babu is like a huge star there.

04:01And that's all I knew.

04:02So I was like, okay, this is a good opportunity.

04:06And I kind of took it up.

04:07And I remember I shot one schedule of it.

04:11And after that, there were, there was like a month long gap, month or month and a half.

04:17In which I gave, I met Sabir sir and Sajid sir for Hero Panti.

04:23And I met them and I gave an audition.

04:25And on the day of audition, I signed that film.

04:29So after that, I was shooting Hero Panti and one with Mahesh Babu back to back.

04:35So I was having date issues in my first film, which was like, it just felt like a high.

04:39It just felt like, wow, I'm having date issues.

04:43It's my first film.

04:44I'm making my debut.

04:45I'm a nobody.

04:46But yeah, that felt good.

04:52After getting Hero Panti, I gave a GMAT entrance exam.

04:57So I was preparing for GMAT because my parents were very like, you know,

05:02how a normal middle class family parents would be very, very scared.

05:07And I could understand their anxiety and their worry.

05:11And I think they wanted me to just have a plan B.

05:15Plan B is only for your parents.

05:18Plan B is never in your head.

05:19So I had that plan B and I gave GMAT.

05:22I got a good score, which was valid for five years.

05:25So I was like, let me do what I want to do.

05:29And I'm just glad that it's not valid anymore.

05:31And I don't need it anymore.

05:37I think after Panipat, I kind of felt that I can do any kind of character

05:42in terms of, you know, culture.

05:44And, you know, I think it's all about picking up the dialect,

05:48picking up nuances of that culture.

05:50And that's my job as an actor.

05:52And I feel you should not restrict yourself in terms of, oh,

05:55she's a Punjabi, so she can't play a South Indian or whatever.

05:59You know, I feel like all those things are hair, makeup, costume,

06:02which do a brilliant job at making you look whoever you want to look like.

06:06And then the rest is your job to make people believe that you are

06:10from that culture.

06:11And now I think with Mimi, it is, you know, I was told so many things.

06:15I was told like, why are you playing a mother so early in your career?

06:19And, you know, things like that.

06:21And I think people also realized my intensity as an actor,

06:28which I think, honestly, I can only show when I get a scene like that.

06:32So if you're giving me simpler scenes, I would do it the way

06:35that scene allows me to, you know.

06:37And with a film like Mimi, I think it gives me a lot of confidence

06:41to take up a lot more projects on my shoulders and, you know,

06:45be not afraid and know the fact that, okay, people are liking my work.

06:52They've liked the film, they've watched the film for the film.

06:55And I have been convincing enough for them to draw into the film.

07:00And, you know, most people have cried at the end.

07:02So I think that's a good thing.

07:04And yeah, it just gives me a lot more confidence to step out,

07:09do something more, take risks, you know, and be bolder.

07:15♪

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