Kriti Sanon: My funda in life is, be  nice!

Kriti Sanon Interview

Mimi is hands down your most successful role to date. Did you expect this kind of ovation for it?

Kriti Sanon: There are some projects where , while you  are listening  to the story, prepping for  the shooting, and finally shooting… you gradually get a sense  of what’s being done  and if what’s   being done is something special. During Mimi we all felt that it.I am  very thrilled about  the  range that  Mimi  gave me as  an actor. We  all  loved the script. And  we got  the feeling that what we were  shooting was even better.The  entire cast  and  crew was  brilliant. But most of all it  was  our director  Laxman  Utekar who had a  great grip on his scenes and characters.

You were  sure Mimi  would be  liked?

Kriti Sanon: Somewhere  this was  a film I was very confident  about.  We knew we had made a  good film. I am just so happy that eventhough it released  on  an OTT platform, it got me unprecedented  appreciation.We all hoped it would release  in movie theatres because this was a commercial film to be enjoyed with 200 other  people. But even on OTT the kind of messages and calls I got  for Mimi, I’ve never received before.

 But  you are  no stranger to  success?

Kriti Sanon: Yes ,I have tasted success before,  whether  it was Bareilly Ki Barfi or Lukka Chuppi. Or  for that matter my debut film Heropanti….there have been stepping-stones  to success  from the start.But the validation that Mimi  gave me as an actor is beyond anything I’ve experienced,And this  film revolved  around my character. It gave me  a chance to show my range  and abilities. I am just glad that audiences  were with us. I  always knew Mimi was  a very special film.

Any trepidations  about  playing a  surrogate mother in Mimi?

Kriti Sanon: No trepidation about playing a surrogate  mother. I did read up about it before doing the  film.So I wasn’t as ignorant  about surrogacy as my character  Mimi.The story  was inspired by a real incident that happened when  surrogacy laws were  not in place. A foreign  couple had actually abandoned an Indian surrogate  mother.  No, there was absolutely no apprehensions about doing the film. It was a beautiful  story.Surrogacy is  a beautiful deed. A  surrogate mother  gives so much happiness to  a childless couple.

What are your views on surrogacy ? Do you recommend it to couples who cannot have children?

Kriti Sanon: I think  having a child is personal decision. Most people  want to have children  .Some  don’t. I am not into judging any  decisions on  parenthood.Some may argue there are so  many orphans  who can be  adopted , so why go for surrogacy?Adoption is  also a  great option. On the other hand  there are  couples who want their own biologic: al child , but can’t. Then why not  surrogacy?In our film industry there are so many  instances  of surrogacy.

Mimi shows you can shoulder a film? with success comes responsibility.How careful are you in selecting roles? what are your dos and don’ts?

Kriti Sanon: Well, yes  true.With success comes  a lot of responsibility. Audiences do expect a certain level of credibility  in  my projects  now. Having said that I’ve  always chosen roles that  excite me. I wouldn’t like  to  play anything  that I’ve already done. My process  of selection has always been instinctive.Whenever I  haven’t followed my gut  feeling I’ve ended up being restless  on the sets. There are times when  you  do   a film for the wrong reasons. I’ve done films because I  had the time. Or because it’s  a  big banner.I realize  even the mistakes  are  a learning  experience . However  the  only reason to do a film should be  because  you  want  to be  part  of it  because  of the script, or co-actors or the role should attract you. But at this point of time  I’d rather sit at  home  and do nothing than do the wrong film.

You recently spoke about being bullied by a choreographer? what in your view is the solution to the bullying and exploitation that newcomers in the industry have to face?

Kriti Sanon: I  wasn’t bullied by the choreographer .She was  plainly rude to me. There is nothing that can be done about rude people. Today when  I look back at  the incident  I wonder why I didn’t stand  up for  myself. Why didn’t I  say, ‘I am sorry I  know  I screwed  up. But this is   my first show. It would be  nice if you are a little  more polite in life.’

Your advice  to newcomers who get  exploited?

Kriti Sanon What I’d  tell a newcomer  is, stand up for  your self-respect.  It would be  so much nicer  , if  people  were kinder to  one  another, if  the  trolling stopped.  There is  so much negativity all around us. What is the  need  for it? Nothing is  permanent. Everything is unpredictable. Each one of us  is going  through problems. My funda in life is, be  nice.

What are your plans in the coming months and years?

Kriti Sanon: Oh  my God!  My plans for coming months  and years????!!! I am not much of  a planner . I like to go with the  flow. But yes I have  some  projects that are  on the floors and others that  are in the pipeline.I’ve completed  Bhediya, Hum Do Hamare  Do, Arjun Pandey.  I don’t  know when they will  release  because some of them are meant  for  the  big screen. Hopefully they will release  early next year. There  are two others projects that  I can’t talk about right now.

What are   you shooting for now?

Kriti Sanon: I  am in the middle of shooting for Adipurush. That’s going  really well. It’s a unique  experience  for me  because  of the way  it’s being shot using technique  I’ve never experienced before. It’s all blue screen and  all.There is  so much to learn on the sets.

Are  you happy  with  your career?

Kriti Sanon: This is  the  best phase  of my career and life.I am fortunate to be doing so many different  genres  of cinema. No  two  projects of mine are similar. I just feel extremely blessed. I am making sure  I enjoy every bit of this phase.