Model-turned-actress Gauahar Khan looks back on how she has thrived in the entertainment industry for 19 years
Gauahar Khan has managed to find her fan base in every section of the audience.
From featuring in TV reality shows like Bigg Boss, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi, to sharing screen space with Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan and Vidya Balan in films like Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, Begum Jaan and recently in the web series Tandav and her latest film 14 Phere, Gauahar has done it all.
Even though she is mostly grabbing headlines for her social and personal life on social media, in a recent interview, the actress shares that with time, her parameters on choosing projects, especially films, has changed because she is looking to explore her acting skills now.
"Honestly speaking, I do not look at anything with regret. I do not regret why I could not have the role of the female protagonist opposite Ranbir in a Bollywood film or why directors, producers are not considering me for lead roles. For films, the footage did not matter to me, the character did. If you look at my character in Ishaqzaade and Begum Jaan, those scenes and moments in the story were important. For me, it is always about creating something on-screen that resonates with the audience, and it did," expresses Gauhar.
“Initially, for me, I would try to use every opportunity to the best of my ability because I started from zero. It has been around 19 years for me in the entertainment business and I have seen so much change... Especially with OTT platforms, actors like myself are getting the opportunity to showcase their skills, earlier in cinema chances were limited,” she adds.
Gauahar started her journey as a model and was one of the participants in 2002 for the Femina Miss India beauty pageant. She went on gaining popularity with many non-fiction TV shows like The Khan Sisters, Ticket to Bollywood, India’s Raw Star, I Can Do That and different seasons of Bigg Boss. She was the winner of Bigg Boss 7.
“The web-series space is interesting for me and I am getting good offers from OTT platforms. Tandav was an important show for me that was released on Amazon Prime Video. I have a couple of things lined up for OTT and again, all of them are very versatile and interesting. Now my parameter of choosing a project is to collaborate with directors and storytellers who will use my potential; I want to be challenged with new and exciting roles,” shares Gauahar who also appeared in the Hotstar special sitcom show The Office.