Saiyami Kher: As Long As I Am Getting Good Work, I Think I Am Getting My Due

With 'Ghoomer' actress Saiyami Kher has become the talk of the town. She credits director R Balki for offering her such a strong role in the film. From Amitabh Bachchan to Sachin Tendulkar, she has received appreciation from everyone for her stellar performance. Raving Balki, Saiyami told Outlook India, ''The respect I have for this man after the film because of the way he kind of backs his vision and the way he will do it. Even casting me. Any A-lister actors would have done this film because it's Balki sir and it's a female-oriented film. But he is someone who really backs his vision and somebody who I am very fond of and it's the special equation that I have with him I will cherish for life like I do with Rakeysh (Omprakash Mehra) sir and Anurag (Kashyap).''

Be it 'Mirzya', 'Choked' or any project for that matter, Saiyami's work has quality and each one is different in genre, concept and approach. She has cemented her versatility as an actor in every work of her. When asked if she looks at the content while choosing the script or at the commercial aspect, the actress said, ''It's always important for the film's story to resonate with you for you to connect with it. I did a Marathi film called Mauli which is very commercial. As an actor, you should be okay to do all kinds of work. So, when you say commercial, I feel Ghoomer is very commercial but it has its heart in the right place. I feel that I haven't been offered films that are clubbed as commercial films too much. But I am happy to be choosing projects where you know is either it is my character who is leading the film or if it's an ensemble cast it moves the script forward. So, for me, if the script works for me, then I look at things ahead''.

Saiyami has received an overwhelming response for her exceptional performance in 'Ghoomer'. Asked if she has finally got her due or validation with it, she said, ''I have never looked at it that way because I feel that you have to as an actor have to give your 100 percent to whatever you do and the success and failure are not in your hand. I am not somebody who will say, 'have I got my due or not'. I feel I get my due every time I get my new project because as an actor you want to keep working. So, as long as I am getting good work to do, I think I am getting my due. The minute I stop getting work, I will say that, 'I deserve to get work and not sit at home'. So, I don't take success and failure very seriously because they are part of the process of being an actor. As an actor, you are going to succeed and fail but the point is that you have to keep doing and keep improving and enjoying what you do.''

Post 'Mirzya', Saiyami had no work for several months. It was Anurag Kashyap who offered her 'Choked'. Talking about the low phase of her career, Kher said downs in one's life make one a stronger person. ''It teaches you who your true friends and family are. So for me of course, I had my family with me but I had Anurag Kashyap who backed me and believed in me, and there is a Balki who backed me. It feels like kind of validation that big names back and believe you,'' she added.  

The 'Unpaused' actor further said, ''The downtime is very difficult because an actor, my happy space is in front of the camera and working in front of the camera. So, you don't want to ever at any point be not having work. So, those down phases I know that okay you have to keep working on yourself. If you are not getting films, go and do some theatres, if not theatres, keep doing workshops, and keep working on yourself. So, that kind of how I looked at it and I guess I continue looking at it like that.''