TULIP
COVER STORY
SOWING THE SEEDS FOR SUCCESS Kritika Kamra has won millions hearts with her innocent and sweet look. In short span of time, she has become a household name for her tremendous acting skills. Her debut show was ‘Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar.’ Kritika earned fame in the television industry as Arohi of Kitni Mohabbat Hai. She is currently playing the lead role in Kuch Toh Log Kahenge. She speaks to Tulip about her journey as an actress... How was your first day at shoot? Were you performing under pressure Kritika Kamra as a child –
I was a little naughty. I used to bully guys around. I used to make guys wear girl clothes and they would start crying. I always wanted to sit on the front seat on my tricycle and made boys sit behind. When I was almost 5, I wanted to have everything my Mom had; from sunglasses and lipsticks, to her clothes and she used to buy identical miniature dresses for me. You were doing fashion designing from NIFT in Delhi. When have you decided to share the small screen – My first show happened by chance. It was then; I realized that I was meant to be an actress. It was a combination of luck and destiny; I had my first show after which I realized that this is what I want to do in life. In fact, it’s not only acting; but the whole process of movie-making had intrigued me as I used to be in front of the monitor as well, often. How did your parents react to your decision – They were always happy over I making my own decisions. I initially had plans to pursue Medicine as my career. But I switched to arts and then many other fields, before I ended up being an actress. Today, my parents are happy and they are my biggest fans. They never used to watch TV much before, but now they watch my serials over and over. Shifting to Mumbai is never easy. How did you manage? Were you not nervous It wasn’t tough as I already lived in Delhi alone before living in Mumbai. If someone can survive in Delhi alone, they can live anywhere. Mumbai is a fast city and I had to make my place in the city. There was no struggle as such as I liked the chaos and madness here. I love the fact that it’s alive all the time as it keeps me on my toes constantly.
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I was obviously nervous as I had never been in front of the camera before. I couldn’t stop blinking my eyes. The director asked me to relax. Fortunately, I worked with people who never believed in acting. They told me that I was raw and it’s my greatest strength. They asked me to be myself and so I never had to dramatize in front of the camera or do nothing that was not natural. How did you feel when you saw yourself on the screen for the first time – I don’t like watching myself on screen much. I have never liked anything that I have done. I feel a bit strange hearing my own voice at times. Whenever I watch myself on screen, I always feel like I can do better. It’s good because it helps me improve, but deep inside; I do not enjoy my work much. In fact, when people praise me for my work, it’s hard for me to believe and it takes time for the appreciation to sink in. I expect too much from myself, at times. TRPs of your first show weren’t too impressive. Were you disappointed I never cared much about my ratings. The numbers are for the producers and the channels. I thank for my credits as an actress. Every show for me has been a stepping stone. As long as I am moving upwards, I am alright with what the numbers have to say. It’s good that my first show had not many TRPs, as without that sort of beginning, I guess I wouldn’t have done so many leads. Kitni Mohabbat Hai was a great show and everyone loved the roles of you and Karan. How did you feel after becoming a house hold name – I was glad that we were popular with the youth as people could connect and relate with us. We had our own audience which consisted of