Yes she can!

Swara Bhaskar was a lone ranger when she decided to swim through B-town’s unknown waters. A former naval officer’s daughter, who was appreciated for her performance in Anand l Rai’s Tanu Weds Manu Returns, has bagged herself two Filmfare nominations for best supporting actress and three awards for the same category (for Raanjhanaa and Tanu Weds Manu). Bhaskar reveals that she had to take the audition route in order to make it big in the industry. “I have no famous father or mother. I was able to make it on my own after going through auditions and with the help of a few friends in Mumbai,” she says. She also credits 90’s tele shows like Chitrahaar and Superhit Muqabla for fuelling her filmy passion. 

Before heading for Mumbai in 2008, she started honing her theatrical skills with NK Sharma’s theatre group Act One and has also been a classical dancer since the age of seven. “I was Bharatnatyam dancer leela Samson’s student since I was a child and that was my initial training. It might be a different medium but any art form you learn will help you and make you more confident. Cinema acting is entirely different from theatre acting so I had to work on it. I am more of a director dependent actor and one also learns on the job,” she shares.

Bhaskar, following her stint as a supporting actress in many films, believes that the dichotomy between the lead and supporting roles is blurring slowly in the industry. “It’s more about getting into something which is challenging,” she says. 

She will soon be seen in Hum Apke Hain Koun director Sooraj Barjatya’s next family drama Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, which will hit screens this Diwali. The film which is about “family values” also stars Salman Khan, Sonam Kapoor and Neil Nitin Mukesh. Bhaskar who is all praises for her co-star Salman says, “He was lovely to work with. He is a very positive individual and helped me a lot during the shoots.”

The Raanjanaa actress is also set for another release Nil Battey Sannata, by director Ashwiny Iyer, in a few months. “I play a mother to a little kid. People were calling it a career suicide but I just couldn’t say no to the role because it’s such a beautiful story. It was also very challenging for me,” she tells us.

Bhaskar still has a long road to traverse but while speaking about her cinematic journey so far, she shares, “It has been very wholesome. Nothing was served to me on a silver platter but then again it is very thrilling that I got noticed especially by people like Karan Johar. I’m glad that Bollywood is opening up to newcomers and because of that I’ve also met good people. I feel an artist should never be satisfied of the work he or she has done but go on to learn more with the opportunities that come their way.”