'If you're a person who's not comfortable going out to parties for networking, don't do it.'
'It's not like you're getting a film at a party.'
Despite her non-filmi background, Pragya Jaiswal has created space for herself in the Telugu film industry where she worked consistently for years.
She recently made her transition into Bollywood with Khel Khel Mein.
Pragya is hopeful the film will benefit her with more opportunities in the Hindi space.
"I am hoping to receive equal amount of love from both industries," Pragya tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com.
Are you getting more offers in Hindi after Khel Khel Mein?
I am getting a lot of love and appreciation.
What I have done in the film is being recognised and acknowledged.
I am in talks for a lot of things. Let's see how it materialises.
It was my first comedy film so I was a little nervous. Above all, it was my first Hindi film, so I had a lot of mixed feelings before the release.
I am glad the film is getting so much love and hopefully, in time I will know if it benefited me.
How did you overcome the language barrier in the Telugu industry?
In South, there are a lot of actors who have come from the North.
Language is never a barrier for an actor because we focus on doing the right kind of script and roles. Language is something one can learn on the job.
I have always focused on the scene and the emotion that I have to portray. Maybe in the first film, I had struggled a little bit but it's a small barrier that I overcame long time ago.
Did you always want to become an actor?
No. I didn't know that films could be a career option.
In school, I just knew that I was a very hardworking girl and if I put my mind to something, I will make sure to be successful. I had that drive in me.
It was only when I came to Pune for college that I got to know there are many career options in the world. It's not just about becoming a doctor or an engineer.
Luckily, I got some exposure in Pune and that opened up my mind.
I started doing part-time modelling and then there was a natural progression at one stage and I decided that I want to act.
Did you have to convince your parents?
Like every other small town girl story, it was difficult initially. My parents wanted a proper back-up plan.
They didn't think anyone could pursue modeling and acting as their career, so they were not very comfortable initially.
They wondered how I would live on my own in Bombay.
Plus, we didn't know anyone from the industry.
But when they saw my first Telugu film Kanche, which got me appreciation and best debut awards that year, they were happy and supportive.
How do you look at networking and social media presence to land opportunities in this industry?
All these things are very subjective.
As an actor, we know that networking is important, social media presence is important. Personally, I think one should do what they are comfortable with.
If you're a person who's not comfortable going out to parties for networking, don't do it. It's not like you're getting a film at a party.
It doesn't work like that.
If you have a great social media presence, but you're not a good actor, you won't get a film.
You have to be talented and hard working to get what you want.
It is a lot of luck by chance and being at the right place at the right time.
How do you look back at your journey?
I look back at my journey with a lot of gratitude.
There have been ups and downs and there have been a lot of lessons and a lot of learning. Films that have not worked out have taught me a lot about life and made me a better person and actor.
I feel everything has worked out for the best.
Success is not in our hands, hard work is.
I want to work on what I can control. For what I can't control, I leave it to God.
What kind of offers do you hope to see coming your way?
I've never really thought of these things.
Everyone has a wish list of actors, directors they want to work with.
But life has always surprised me.
You sometimes get the most different genres and roles, so I don't know what to expect.
I'm getting calls from different kinds of film-makers for different kinds of genres. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed.
