Kritika Kamra, the television sensation who is making her debut with Mitron opposite Jackky Bhagnani, is gearing up for her first release.
In an interview with www.thestatesman.com, the actor talked about how she got on board for the film and shared some her experience from the sets.
From Arohi Sharma in Kitani Mohabbat Hai to MTV Webbed 2 host, how was your small screen stint?
I think I have explored everything on the television whether its fiction, non-fiction or dance reality shows. I have explored everything television had to offer; I had tried out everything. My last show was Prem ya Paheli- Chandrakanta. I had never imagined myself in that role, but I was like let’s try this genre because how else you challenge yourself. So it was natural for me to now shift to another because I wanted to keep growing. I am a greedy actor. I don’t want to be known as a television actor and wanted to come out of the comfort zone in which you had been shooting for years and years.
I often remind myself why I am doing this because it is love for the craft. If I don’t enjoy what I am doing then it will become a punishment for me.
What took you so long to debut on the silver screen?
It was natural for me to try another medium. For a long time, I have been approaching films and this really happened when I was really not concentrating. And this film came my way and changed so many things in my head. When you have faith in your filmmaker, you have faith in everything he does be it cast, script or songs. With Nitin sir, I blindly trust him, his trust developed over a period of time in meetings and I realise this man’s kind of cinema is my kind of cinema and I want to be a part of it. So I am really happy that I got to collaborate with him on this project. He has erased my slate because I have done so much television, I had some notions so he kind if shuffled things inside me and here I am and giving up for it.
How did Mitron happen to you?
Things happen to you when you are not looking for them. Especially for me, whenever you are chasing something very hard, sometimes you get disappointed. I am quite realistic and after giving audition for so many things, I had become a little more cautious… Even my Instagram bio says that ‘I am a cautious dreamer, reckless doer’. I dream very carefully as I am very scared of disappointments. I expect a lot and then get disappointed, so I try and keep my expectations low.
So in life, I was keeping my expectations low and (then) I get a call from Nitin sir’s office they asked me to come and meet him. So I quickly googled him and I have Filmistaan. It’s a good film, OMG! I was really excited to meet him and I looked very poised so that it doesn’t reflect on my face. He narrated me the film and somewhere in the film I was loving it so much and I didn’t know that I will get the chance part or not shook hands and he said we will let you know in a day or two.
I got the call the very next day. Actually, I woke up to his call and this time it was him (Nitin). (He said) ‘we would love to have you onboard, what do you think?’ I was like let’s do this. We were then in the prep, readings, and then we left for Ahmedabad. I was overwhelmed that I was doing the film, but it was much exciting to be part of this film because of the witty character I have.
Share some special moments from the sets of Mitron.
It was a lot of fun as we all were living like a family in Ahmedabad for those 45 days. We were like wake up, go to the set… The city becomes so familiar, we went for promotions and I was like I have taken a ride of the Scooty here, I had food there. There are many memories that are really special. We were shooting in real houses of people while they were living over there. One room was for my makeup. In between, we used to sit with them, had chai and chill with them. In the beginning, they were like film shooting is happening but at the end of the day they too got used to us, and we became the member of their houses.
What would you like to say about your co-star Jackky Bhagnani?
Jackky is one of the most hardworking persons. I didn’t know Jackky before the film; I met him when he was preparing for the character. We didn’t mingle so much initially as we don’t have so many scenes together in the film. As the film progressed, and the characters started meeting, Jackky and I were becoming friends off-screen also. Lots of moments are candid. In the songs in which you are seeing us walking and talking, actually, the conversation was happening. Nitin sir told me, it’s great to mingle and hang out together, and when you are in a different city you tend to mingle. My interaction with them started when I started shooting. My friendship increased on screen and now we are great friends.
So who is your best friend in life, with whom you share everything?
I have a few friends, I can’t name one as then another one will get offended. I studied in NIFT Delhi, and then I switched to acting, so there are friends from Delhi who are really close to me. I get very nostalgic about Delhi. They are the windows to my outside world. Sometimes you get too absorbed in the industry, so you need to have friends so that you know what’s happening in the world, and they do this for me. And also, they are my reality check, my mirror and we have comfort.
What is your idea of romance?
My idea of romance is very old school. (I am) full on a bookish romantic person. I want to believe in fairy tales, I am contradicting myself as I said I am a real person but there is no harm in dreaming or wanting superlative romance in your life. I think it is important.