Actor Esha Gupta tells Sakshi Sharma that she fell down, got up and learnt from her own mistakes in the industry
Nepotism has always been a hot topic in Bollywood and bound to attract controversies. But then there are outsiders like Esha Gupta who prove that talent ought not to be bothered by it. “Initially, it worried me but then I gradually understood this industry and started validating my existence. Today no one can turn around and say that I made Esha Gupta. I fell, I got up, learnt from my own mistakes and did it all on my own. I have no one to give the credit,” says the Jannat 2 actor. She has ever eyeball in the room in her monotone polka dots pant-suit ensemble with a stylish twist in the capital where she is busy promoting, One Day: Justice Delivered, an action thriller. She has no qualms in admitting that she started from a scratch in 2012 without a godfather in the industry.
In her latest outing, she plays the role of a fierce crime branch officer who investigates the disappearance of high profile individuals. Esha says, “Laxmi Rathi does not believe that people are black or white. They can be grey as well and so is she. She accepts people the way they are. Instead of judging the character, she tries to understand why s/he must have taken that step.”
Talking about the film further, she says that it emphasises the idea of karma, which is centered around the theory that ek din aayega (a day will come when justice is finally delivered).
She further apprises us, “Films like these lift you up and enrich your journey. I would love to do roles like these because there is nothing more satisfying than acting in a film where you can deliver justice, even if it is only onscreen.” However, every role brings forth challenges and this one was no different. She says, “Learning a new accent and maintaining it consistently while staying in the character was difficult.”
Adjusting her beige colour neckpiece, she excitedly tells us that she is very natural in this film. “After my first film Jannat 2, this is the only one where I am not wearing lenses or lashes. I did not care about how I was looking on the screen. I took naps in between shoots, got up and then shot in messy hair. This film pins the issue deeply and that is the reason why I feel about it strongly,” she says.
She says that her journey in the Hindi film industry has been a rough one. “It was never smooth. But there’s this beautiful saying, which my dad never tires of quoting, ‘If you are sailing in still water, it is not called sailing’. In quest to achieve higher, there are ups and downs and it took me a while to understand this roller coaster ride. Initially, it was lovely as I was doing a lot of films and advertisements but then one major failure pushed me back. I blamed myself for the wrong decision and started comparing my life with others. It took a lot of self analysis and meditation to get out of that phase. I realised that this industry can turn you into gold or into dust.” Initially, her mental health issues bothered her but the way forward has given her a lot to be thankful for.
For Esha, the script and her role in a film matter more than the director. On her choice of films, she says, “I am very clear that either I want to do films like One day: Justice Delivered, Chakravyuh or for money where I am looking amazing, dancing and acting dumb. Not everyone takes the risk of doing such films.”
Often actors relate to characters or imbue them with features that are personal to give them more depth. “The entire idea about acting is acting. I never relate to any of my characters on a personal level. If I have to actually do it, then I am not acting. I am glad that I get to live so many characters in each film. You need to have a strong hold of your senses so much so that when you go back home, you are still the same person else it can mess you up. However, in this character there is one thing that she would love to incorporate and add to her personality. She guffaws and says, “Given a chance, I would love to beat criminals and rapists and kick them in their balls.”
Cherishing her debut character, Jhanvi Tomar, which is her favourite too, the actress says that she is all set to try out her skills in a web series that would start streaming in September.
(The film releases on July 5.)