'I Realised The Power Of Cinema'

'I went from being a teenager, to an actor and eventually into a star all so quickly.'

Kriti Kharbanda has completed 15 years in the movies.

She made her debut in the Telugu film Boni in 2009, then rose to fame with the Kannada film Googly.

She made her Hindi debut in 2016 with Raaz Reboot before establishing herself in Bollywood with Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, Housefull 4 and Pagalpanti.

Kriti who will be seen next in a Telugu film with Rana Daggubati, says, 'I've spent the last 15 years, pretty much the majority of my life, being an actor. What started out as a hobby, as a way to pay the bills and being recognised slowly grew into a passion! A passion that I didn't even know existed inside of me.

'Along the way, I grew, as a human being and as an actor. The more I understood the business, the more fascinated I became. I remember the day too, when I made that mental shift.

'Today as I mark 15 years of being an actor, I want to share a story with you. I used to run a boutique with my mum since my teenage years. We used to shop, design and spend of a lot time picking up fabrics and what not.

'So a few days after the release of my Kannada movie, GOOGLY, we were out in a mall. I entered the store like I always do, and everything was fine.

'As I exited I realised there were 100s of people outside the store. I looked up and noticed people standing around the aisle and staring down at me.

'I didn't quite understand what was happening till the crowd started chanting "Doctree! Doctree!"

'I couldn't believe my ears and my eyes! I was so overwhelmed, that I held my dad's arm and said, "Parking main chalo pa, we need to leave!"

'That was the day I realised the power of cinema and our industry. I went from being a teenager, to an actor and eventually into a star all so quickly. I was afraid to blink. Soon after this life changed.'

'Today I want to take this opportunity to thank me.

'The younger, naive, trusting, passionate, brave me. I'm here coz of her today. Coz she could have given up, I know she wanted to when things got hard, but she didn't. She kept going.

'And I want to thank the me of today. I'm so proud of the person I've become and I wouldn't change a thing about me.

'A big thank u to everyone who's been a part of this incredible journey.

'My family, my siblings, my husband and my friends, but most of all, the people who offered me work and believed in my talent, and the fans who kept me going with their love for me.

'Thank u for trusting me with entertaining you. Thank u for watching my movies and thank u for believing in me. Lots of love.'