One thing, one person I won't name but one person actually wrote to me and said that I have
been thinking of adopting a child for a very long time and
I think after this film I might think seriously
I loved the performances I think Shahid was outstanding in the film so those performances
stayed with me as a film I didn't agree with many things
Yes, I don't belong to any camp you know. I’ve never belonged to one
Tiger is someone who I have like a soft corner in my heart because he’s my first co-star in the
Hindi film industry and you know we've started our careers together
As you mentioned Bachchan Pandey, there is Hum Do Hamare Do, there is Bhediya,
there is Adipurush, there is Ganpat there are actually two more films that I have said yes to
So even before we start talking about other things,
I want to ask you what is the best compliment you've got for Mimi till now?
Compliment is very difficult to choose honestly because I think what is happening right now
with me is that everyone's talking to me and calling me and then saying that listen, talk
to my mother you know and talk to my father so I think I’m talking to like all generations of
people and you know they're loving it unanimously which is great and what's never happened
is also when people are calling or messaging and saying thank you for making this film
you know and yeah one thing one person I won't name but one person actually wrote to me and
said that I have been one thinking of adopting a child for a very long time and
I think after this film I might think seriously.
That is very sweet.
Yeah, that is like that gave me like goosebumps.
True and it's lovely how I’m sure even as actors you all must be thinking so many times
that how actors and films really impact people you know it really moves them from within
and does it, does it make you feel privileged to be a part of an
environment, of a field, of a profession like acting?
Absolutely, I think there is so much impact that we can have you know as creative people
being in the business that we're in you know on people's lives there is so much that we can
attempt to change you know in terms of people's thoughts, people's like in general like you
know if there's something that we feel is not happening right there's so much a film can
actually do and change yeah and it can as you said you know leave an impact on people's
lives and their mind you know if you leave them with a thought that changes the way they
think, I think that is just that's a lot of power.
Does that also make you aware about the kind of scripts you select?
See, I don't I mean I won't like say I’ll be honest I would love to play a negative role and
I’m not going to think like oh, what is the impact that this role is going to have? No, I just feel
that overall impact of film should not be negative every film is not meant to teach something.
Some films are just stories you know some films are just stories because they're just great
stories to watch and for entertainment purpose and that's it. Yeah, in your career if you do a
few films at least every now and then which also have something to say you know then
it's great but it's not like I look for that only in every film I would like to do like I would love
to do a Gone Girl honestly like it doesn't have anything nice to say you're playing a character
who's like really walked but it's a story like at the end of it if you do an Andhadhun.
It doesn't have anything positive it's not like giving some lesson for a fantastic story to do and to watch.
Sure, but as artists you will also have like a borderline thing now that this I will not do like
for example, if a Kabir Singh comes to you will you take it up?
I don't really know I didn't like the film so I don't know I love the performances but yes, I
think sometimes we watch the film because of the people that where we are and we watch it
from our thought process and there are things that we don't like so I don't know I loved the
performances I think Shahid was outstanding in the film so those performances stayed with
me as a film I didn't agree with many things.
Does it happen with you that you kind of have let go many brand endorsements
because you couldn't connect with the brand?
I mean there have been once twice I mean as a model I did certain brands because I was a
model and that time it didn't matter who I was that time I didn't even have the the sensibility
I would say I was too young but I think as you grow you also realise that there are certain
things that you don't stand for and you don't want to do those those things so anything which
is which is basically asking you to say you know change your colour
or endorsing something which is not correct.
Yeah, see there is a difference there are some things which kind of just tell you that you
know you can remove your tanning and that's okay we all get tanned when we go to beach
and we want to remove our tanning that's fine but if you're saying that fair skin is what is
great and that's what you should aim at that's wrong.
You rejected endorsements like this?
I don't remember if it's come to me but there are times when I’m very careful of what the
brand is trying to say you know sometimes the language, one word here and there can actually
make a huge difference so I’m very aware of what they're saying so there are certain things
that were you know at times written which according to me were not correct and then I got
that altered I wouldn't say something like something wrong.
And I have to tell you Kriti also when I see your journey today, I feel so happy because I
remember meeting you at Nadiadwala office for Heropanti and since then to now it's been I
think seven years,
seven years in the business.
How has this journey been Kriti? How do you look back at these last seven years and
I’m sure it brings a smile on your face?
It does obviously I mean when I lookback at how I was during Heropanti I was a baby
in a new world, sort of fascinated by everything, doesn't know what her mark is, doesn't
know what camera facing is and you know but I was always a thinker is what I
remember it comes from also the fact that I’m an engineer I think my mind is constantly
working and I’m trying to think what else can be done and I have always had the hunger to
grow and that's been a constant from then to even now I have discovered my process, I’ve
discovered what works for me, what doesn't work for me, my craft, the kind of roles that I get
attracted to and a lot more about my craft about acting I fallen more and more in love
with what I do I think when I came in I didn't know much about acting I never taken like
workshops that you know I just did what I felt was right and slowly I think I’ve started
enjoying it a lot more than that you know what I used to because I know it you know better
than what I used to. The prep process all of those things, getting to learn so many different
things you know in these years I think that's what's been exciting for me.
When I look back it's I like I see the fact that I have grown over this time
constantly that's what I want to continue doing.
Sure, and it won't be wrong to say that you are among the top league actors in India today and
when we speak about Mimi, I feel that it's your career best performance do you think that
way? Do you also like objectively look at it?
It's very modest to say that but yeah I feel so too I think somewhere I went a little leaper
and Mimi and also I think Mimi as a film kind of gave me a lot more to do as an actor you
know in terms of the graph that the character had, the kind of scenes that you know I could
emote those are challenging scenes but every time you are challenged is when you will go
deeper, more than what you are doing so I think it gave me that platform that I could
explore you know and I just I’m glad that I ended up doing it doing a decent job at that.
Absolutely, this debate of insider outsider is going on for a while, do you now feel like an insider?
I do. I have felt for a while you know I think yes I don't belong to any camp you know I’ve
never belonged to one I have had a few people who have been a very, very important part of
my journey who have believed in me and you know without whom I think my journey would
have not been the same and I always remember that, I always respect that but yeah I think
the more I work here, the more I get to know people, the more I feel at home it's like any new
place you know when you go to a new city you know the more you make friends the more
you know the places around you start feeling more at home in that place I
think it's I like that only I think I have gotten the validation, the respect you know the
opportunities that anyone would crave for so I yes I do feel at home I do feel like an insider.
I don't know what that means but I feel like I belong here.
Going back to the beginning of your journey you started your career with Tiger Shroff and
you will now soon do another film with him called Ganpat. You of course did one song with
him also after Heropanti I remember that but how does it feel like I mean you and Tiger have
been very close whenever I’ve asked him about you, he's always been very, very fondly and
said a lot of things, how excited are you guys to like collaborate again?
Very, very excited. See Tiger is someone who I have like a soft corner in my heart because
he's my first co-star in Hindi film industry and I’ve you know we've started our careers
together, we've been in the same boat, gone through the same things, grown like together
I have not been, he and I have not been like as thick friends to sort of stay in touch with each
other all the time we don't we I don't really like meet up, catch up we're not those kind of
friends but we always wish very, very well for each other and that's been like a constant I
think that warm feeling that's there for each other is always going to stay I’m just so happy
when I see him grow, when I do see him do better you know and to make 200 crores
And like get better and better and higher and higher in his jumps and everything that he does
and it's just very exciting so I don't know why we not work together in the middle for so
many years but I’m so excited to actually face the camera with him again and I don't know
how it's going to be because we both have really grown from where we started but I think it's
going to be a very new feeling but yet very familiar.
Yeah, but when you start shooting for Ganpat? And you know tell me something about the
film, your character. Obviously I know you can't tell me much but as much as you can.
See I can't tell about the character but yes, you'll see me do action for the first time properly
you've seen the poster that has me on a dirt bike so that's also something I’m supposed to
learn I mean I did ride a bullet in Bachchan Pandey so I did learn how to ride a bullet but a
bullet and a dirt bike are very, very different from each other.
It reminds me that I have to start these training soon otherwise I won't be able to be ready
in time we're starting to film somewhere I think in October.
Yeah, I don't know exactly when but sometime in October is when we're starting and I
started prepping for it, for the action bit of it. I’ve had a bit of a break because of the
promotions and everything that's going but I’m really looking forward to it because to do
action in a film that has Tiger Shroff in it is you have the best in your film so I think
he's going to help me at every place probably.
Also, there is Bachchan Pandey coming up and you are working there with Akshay Kumar.
How is that collaboration? He quite the prankster, did he pull any prank on you?
No, yeah not really pranks. I have said it a lot now that he might pull a prank in promotions,
I don’t want him to.
I had a blast shooting with him. I love shooting with him. I think he's a great co-star, he's
so much fun to be with on sets, he's constantly playing some of the other games and I think
Jaisalmer you know we shot we were there for about 40 days and it kind of became like a one
bunch of a family, a whole family that used to eat together you know sometimes like we
would play badminton, sometimes we would play like ludo, so much we played then there
were games that we all used to play like mafia,
more games I’m forgetting but he's constantly like having fun and he likes the people
to also have fun he would play like tambola and all and you know even like the people who
were serving food then you know the people who from the hotel would also join in so he's
like a people's person you know where he involving everyone who's there whether it
is a you know a costume person or a makeup person or anyone on set I think he kind of gets
brings people together and that's amazing we've had a lot of fun shooting that film it is a very,
very unique script I would say very entertaining it's got everything it's about action ,it's got
comedy, it's got romance, it's got drama, it's got like a little bit of a thriller, it's got everything.
The dynamics of his and my character is very unique, you know and you've seen his look so his look is like, killer.
And yeah, I think I mean I’ve had a blast shooting that film and there are times when
you feel like you know when you've had such a good time on set that shows on screen so I
think people are going to have fun.
There's Bhediya also, there's Adipurush also and
somebody was telling me that you were also doing the Hindi remake of Kill Bill, is that happening?
See I wouldn't talk about any film that hasn't been announced so far, the films that I can
say or talk about are as you mentioned Bachchan Pandey, there is Hum Do Hamare Do,
there is Bhediya, there is Adipurush, there is Ganpat there are actually two more films that
I have said yes to but I can't say what.
Hint?
I never do this. I think it is it's the producer's right to kind of announce
when they feel right and it's their moment so
Nupur did the two music videos with Akshay sir and we are all waiting for her
to make her acting debut, when is that happening?
It will happen when the time is right I feel like you know everyone has their own journey and
she is in talks for something and it's kind of almost done but I think again when the makers
announce, they announce. It's not something that I can say or she can say but I always
believe that everyone has their own journey and she's like I started with a Telegu film, she
started with two music videos it's a different journey that she's had so far and she's kind of
I’ve seen her grow in these two music videos also and I just feel that your first film I’ve
always said is like extremely important everything the first kind of you know starts that graph
and we've been in a pandemic since one and a half years so I mean things are kind of going
back and forth in everything so but soon I think hopefully
whenever they decide to announce you will hear something.
Thank you so much Kriti this was a lovely conversation and as always,
I wish you all the luck.