MUMBAI : Even though talent is essential to longevity, it is not the only thing that increases an artist's visibility. Star actor Shriya Pilgaonkar is aware that a lot goes into being a celebrity in today's world.
The actor made her Bollywood debut in the 2016 film Fan starring Shah Rukh Khan, says she has come to understand the need to make the correct noise for one's work to reach more viewers and to openly accept the idea that "jab PR kiya toh darna kya."
Shriya made her debut on the scene with the hit series Mirzapur on Prime Video, referring to it as her "commercial cinema" experience. However, in 2022, she gained further recognition for her role in the judicial drama Guilty Minds, in which she acted with Sonali Bendre and Jaideep Ahlawat. The Broken News, which debuted earlier this year, also included her.
“It is not just about being good in a particular part,” Shriya tells Indianexpress.com as she sits down to chat at her Lokhandwala office cum residence. “The objective of perception building should be that the people who haven’t watched your work also need to hear about it.”
She spoke about the disappointment she faced when some of the reviews didn’t mention her name, “With Fan, I knew what I was getting into. I was aware that it wasn’t going to be a typical YRF film, even for Shah Rukh sir, for that matter, it was an experiment for him as well. I knew I didn’t have a lot of screen time, but I was Gaurav’s love interest and my character did have that weight. I did no PR when the film released and it all happened organically when the movie was out. A part of the reason was that I wasn’t with any agency, and I didn’t understand how to hype myself. Today, a lot of actors are created and mounted to be stars before their work is released. A lot of work goes into that as well.”
“In my case, I thought let Fan come out, I didn’t want people to get any wrong idea of my part in the film. It worked in my favour, because many people were interested in knowing about me. Some reviews mentioned me, some didn’t. My parents had also mentally prepared me that I shouldn’t try and attach my entire journey on the outcome of the film.”
She mentioned which she noticed while working with SRK, “There is always a lot of noise around you, and when you have so many voices, you have to hold on to the one most authentic to you. This is something I noticed while working with SRK, that there is a certain focus, clarity and strong intention of what he wanted to do at that point of time. And the hunger, to do more. You might think what more could he want, but it is such a personal thing, to want, because you know what you are capable of so you show up for yourself, you fight for it. I love that, it is almost like this mentality of a student, a learner. That is something that I apply constantly and always go back to.”
She highlighted the grooming part, “For me grooming is not just your appearance or the PR around you but honing your skills as an actor. I did a lot of theatre, workshops, I was training. But yes, there are a few things in hindsight that I could’ve perhaps done differently. But I wouldn’t look at them as regrets. Sitting here today, looking back, maybe I could’ve thought more about perception. Just saying that I’m going to work on my talent, work hard and hoping that leads to something is one aspect but in showbiz there’s so much more. I feel like I focused a lot on substance, but I didn’t give too much thought to the mounting, to what my brand is. I didn’t give too much thought back then in understanding how the perception is, how the market is seeing me.”
She added, “A lot of times your teams do that. It’s just that over the years I’ve come to understand these things. Today, you’ve a sense of how PR works, you want to mount things differently. I won’t say it’s too naive, but it’s idealistic a thought to say that it’s only hard work (that gets you ahead). It’s also opportunities, luck and perception. There are many people who may not have the talent but are really good at marketing themselves really well. So it has to be everything.”
She stated at last, “When I started out as an actor, I chose to focus more on the substance because I knew my skill and my craft will give me that 60-year career. I look at it as a long-term game, I’m not here for ten years so I don’t want to make any decision out of fear. What’ll keep me going is my skill. People won’t remember my reels; they’re going to remember my roles. So, I’ve always given substance priority. But along with that, I do think it’s important to do PR around your projects because how else will you show other aspect? How else will people understand who I am, not just as an actor.”
(Also read: The Broken News season 2 actor Shriya Pilgaonkar is here to rule your hearts with her HOT LOOKS
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Credit- The Indian Express
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