How did Kriti Sanon go from being a shy child who hid behind her mother to a Bollywood star? She spoke to Brut about her life and dreams in an exclusive interview...
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00:00I remember when people used to come to my house, I would hide behind my mom's chunni.
00:06So you know those irritating kids who when they're dancing, they are doing proper steps
00:12and everyone else feels like lost. So I was that irritating kid.
00:16When I went for modeling, my mother was actually very like, I don't know how you're going to do this.
00:23This doesn't seem like you fit here.
00:27Hi guys, I'm Priti Sanon for Brute.
00:35I was a very shy kid. I mean, when I was very small, I remember when people used to come to my house,
00:41I would hide behind my mom's chunni.
00:44I was always this studious, nerdy kid who would sit at the back bench only because she was tall.
00:50But otherwise, I mean, I was that person who needs to like finish her course before going for the exams.
01:04Dancing was something that I was always very, very drawn to.
01:07It was something that I really enjoyed.
01:10So at a party, even though I would be like shy and not be amongst the kids who make noise in general,
01:19but whenever it comes to dancing, they would be like,
01:22dance and I would not care. I would just get up and dance.
01:25And Madhuri Dixit has been my favorite.
01:27So you know, those irritating kids who, when they're dancing, they are doing proper steps
01:33and everyone else feels like lost.
01:35So I was that irritating kid and I used to dance on all parties.
01:44When I was in school, I knew that I liked science.
01:47I knew that I liked computer science and I was like, okay, let me be a software engineer,
01:54not knowing what a software engineer would do.
01:56And when I passed out, I was preparing for engineering.
02:01And then I didn't get software engineering in the college that I got in.
02:06I got electronics and communication.
02:08I ended up taking that.
02:10I realized I liked communication bit of it.
02:13But again, I didn't really, my heart was not there.
02:18I did modeling because I just thought that I had the height and I could do it.
02:25So let me just do it as time passed.
02:27When I went for modeling, my mother was actually very like,
02:32I don't know how you're going to do this.
02:34This doesn't seem like you fit here.
02:37When I did my first ramp show, I remember I messed up somewhere in the choreography
02:45and the choreographer was very rude to me.
02:47And she like screamed at me in front of like some 20 models at the end of the show.
02:53And I was just, whenever somebody scolds me, I can just start crying like this.
02:58So I remember sitting in an auto and I was, the moment I sat in the auto, I started crying.
03:05I went back home and I cried to my mother.
03:07So my mother was like, you know, I don't know if this profession is for you.
03:12I don't, I think you need to be like emotionally way stronger.
03:15You need to be like a thick skinned person and all.
03:18And you need to be a lot more confident than what you are.
03:21And I think confidence is something that I gained with time.
03:30I think somewhere mid 2012, I got this offer of Telugu film with Mahesh Babu.
03:40And I don't watch South cinema.
03:43I never did.
03:44I mean, back then I didn't even watch English films.
03:47Like it took me time to start watching all that.
03:49But I auditioned for it.
03:54I went to Hyderabad.
03:55I got that film.
03:57And I, of course, I knew that Mahesh Babu is like a huge star there.
04:01And that's all I knew.
04:02So I was like, okay, this is a good opportunity.
04:06And I kind of took it up.
04:07And I remember I shot one schedule of it.
04:11And after that, there were, there was like a month long gap, month or month and a half.
04:17In which I gave, I met Sabir sir and Sajid sir for Hero Panti.
04:23And I met them and I gave an audition.
04:25And on the day of audition, I signed that film.
04:29So after that, I was shooting Hero Panti and one with Mahesh Babu back to back.
04:35So I was having date issues in my first film, which was like, it just felt like a high.
04:39It just felt like, wow, I'm having date issues.
04:43It's my first film.
04:44I'm making my debut.
04:45I'm a nobody.
04:46But yeah, that felt good.
04:52After getting Hero Panti, I gave a GMAT entrance exam.
04:57So I was preparing for GMAT because my parents were very like, you know,
05:02how a normal middle class family parents would be very, very scared.
05:07And I could understand their anxiety and their worry.
05:11And I think they wanted me to just have a plan B.
05:15Plan B is only for your parents.
05:18Plan B is never in your head.
05:19So I had that plan B and I gave GMAT.
05:22I got a good score, which was valid for five years.
05:25So I was like, let me do what I want to do.
05:29And I'm just glad that it's not valid anymore.
05:31And I don't need it anymore.
05:37I think after Panipat, I kind of felt that I can do any kind of character
05:42in terms of, you know, culture.
05:44And, you know, I think it's all about picking up the dialect,
05:48picking up nuances of that culture.
05:50And that's my job as an actor.
05:52And I feel you should not restrict yourself in terms of, oh,
05:55she's a Punjabi, so she can't play a South Indian or whatever.
05:59You know, I feel like all those things are hair, makeup, costume,
06:02which do a brilliant job at making you look whoever you want to look like.
06:06And then the rest is your job to make people believe that you are
06:10from that culture.
06:11And now I think with Mimi, it is, you know, I was told so many things.
06:15I was told like, why are you playing a mother so early in your career?
06:19And, you know, things like that.
06:21And I think people also realized my intensity as an actor,
06:28which I think, honestly, I can only show when I get a scene like that.
06:32So if you're giving me simpler scenes, I would do it the way
06:35that scene allows me to, you know.
06:37And with a film like Mimi, I think it gives me a lot of confidence
06:41to take up a lot more projects on my shoulders and, you know,
06:45be not afraid and know the fact that, okay, people are liking my work.
06:52They've liked the film, they've watched the film for the film.
06:55And I have been convincing enough for them to draw into the film.
07:00And, you know, most people have cried at the end.
07:02So I think that's a good thing.
07:04And yeah, it just gives me a lot more confidence to step out,
07:09do something more, take risks, you know, and be bolder.
07:15♪