Bollywood actor Saiyami Kher is not someone who stays silent when it comes to things that matter. A sportsman and a staunch supporter of women in sports, she was one of the few familiar Bollywood faces spotted at the Women’s World Cup finals at DY Patil Stadium.
Indian women's team beat South Africa to take home their first World Cup.
While many top Bollywood actors were spotted at Wimbledon earlier this year, Saiyami Kher couldn’t help but notice the contrast back home.
In an exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol, Saiyami said she wondered why the A listers of Bollywood gave the women's final a miss when it came to cheer for the Girls In Blue.
At the DY Patil Stadium, where India’s women’s cricket team was scripting history, she was one of the few film personalities present. Saiyami took a subtle dig at the film fraternity for making time to attend international sporting galas, but they rarely show up for support back at home.
“Usually, at Wimbledon, we saw a whole lot of people turned up this year because it has become almost like a red carpet event. Wish the red carpet had reached DY Patil stadium also. But it’s for them to figure out why they were at Wimbledon and not supporting our girls at DY Patil,” she asked.
But Saiyami said she isn’t bitter about it rather said she’s filled with gratitude that real fans turned up.
“I was just really happy to see the stadium completely packed with real fans who actually loved the game. It’s always good to see people who come and support women, come and support the day it should be," she said over a telephonic conversation with us.
Saiyami is herself a self-confessed sports fanatic and she grew up with the sound of cricket commentary in the background. Her passion for live games is almost infectious.
“I’ve been watching cricket since I was a little child. I used to struggle to find tickets to get into a stadium. I remember the 2011 World Cup finals at Wankhede — I spent all the money I had, my mother thought I was crazy! I feel I earn money to go and watch live sports,” she laughs.
Saiyami credits the BCCI for its consistent efforts to market and invest in women’s cricket. “They’ve put money into women’s cricket, marketed it so well. So at least we have to credit the BCCI.”
On Ghoomer’s re-release, says it is a tribute to women’s cricket
R. Balki’s Ghoomer in which Saiyami played a para-cricketer opposite Abhishek Bachchan is getting a special re-release, which is timed perfectly with India Women's Cricket team's historic World Cup win.
“Ghoomer's re release is a continued celebration of what the girls have done. It’s our tribute and our celebration for what they’ve achieved because there’s no better time to celebrate Indian women’s cricket. We’re doing a small re-release and hope more people turn up and watch the film," she said.
When Ghoomer first released, it was caught in a traffic jam of big-ticket blockbusters and the movie barely got any screens for people to watch.
Ghoomer was competing with Gadar, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani at the box office.
“Even when Ghoomer released two years ago, it got some 180 screens which was really nothing around the country. There was Gadar 2, Rocky Rani Ki Prem Kahani, and Dream Girl. In that era, you’re not going to get screens,” she admits candidly.
Saiyami says the re-release is not about reclaiming lost box-office space but about the conversation.
“It’s our way of saying thank you to what these girls have done. The timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
And she said Ghoomer's re release is: “Our tribute to what the girls have done. There’s no better time to celebrate Indian women’s cricket.”
On OTT releases and screen fatigue
We veered the discussion towards the ongoing debate about OTT timelines and their impact on theatrical releases and Saiyami agreed that if there is ample gap between the movie's release in cinema halls and online platforms, it could really make a difference.
“I’ve seen that some films come very quickly, within four weeks. There are people who say, ‘It’s coming in a week, I’ll just watch it at home.’ I’m completely for OTT releases, but with a little bit of a delay,” she said.
While she admits most of her films have found a much wider audiences on OTT, Saiyami still believes that big-screen experience is something worth watching.
“The joy of going to a theatre and watching certain films on the big screen, you should experience it that way. If there’s a gap between the OTT release, it will draw people to theatres," she added.
Choosing between meaningful and commercial cinema
Over the years, Saiyami has carved her own space, choosing projects that may not always scream ‘box office’ numbers, but always add something meaningful to her repertoire.
“It actually depends because it’s not like there are thousands of offers that come my way. I was advised not to do 8 A.M. Metro by managers, but my heart said it doesn’t matter. It was a film I genuinely believed in. I did Agni, where I played a firefighter in a small part, but it was an ode to them,” she says.
Still, she’s pragmatic about her choices.
“Akshay Kumar taught me that you should keep working kyunki kaam se kaam milega. You just keep working, and that work will get you something else.”
When offered the choice between a big commercial film and a smaller, performance-driven one, Saiyami says she would go where her heart is. “If I’m getting something like Ghoomer or 8 A.M. Metro, I’ll choose the smaller film where as an actor, I have more to do and more to learn.”
Saiyami Kher made her Bollywood debut opposite Harshvardhan Kapoor in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Mirzya in 2016. Post that she has worked in movies like R. Balki’s Ghoomer, where she played a para-cricketer, then Choked, Breathe: Into the Shadows, and 8 A.M. Metro.
Saiyami is a trained athlete and Ironman finisher and she combines her passion for sports with a commitment to performance-driven cinema.
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