Actress Anjali Anand is not a new face in the entertainment industry. The actress had a successful yet brief stint on Television where she delivered two back-to-back hits in Dhai Kilo Prem and Kulfi Kumar Bajewala.
But the actress took a conscious break from TV and bagged a Dharma productions film 'Rocky Aur Rani' though her role was small but she made a powerful impact and got noticed.
Anjali is now basking in the success of her new OTT show Dabba Cartel, which premiered on Netflix recently. It saw Anjali play the bindass yet naive Shahida and the actress says she couldn't have asked for a better role.
In an exclusive interview with Money Control, Anjali spoke her heart about the pay parity and how producers are ready to pay the big actors but will not give new actors a good amount.
Anjali Anand opened up about her journey, struggles, and experiences in the entertainment industry.
Anjali's entry into the industry was not a conventional one. She never thought she would be doing TV shows, mainly because she never saw anyone like her on television.
"I never saw anybody like me in television. And I always saw the women in the shows cast a certain way. They were tiny, petite women," she recalled.
However, fate had other plans, and she landed her first TV show, which marked the beginning of her journey.
"Nothing was decided. And, it was obviously something that I wanted to do eventually. I actually, in the first place, never thought I would be doing TV ever. Because I never saw anybody like me in television. And I always saw the women in the shows cast a certain way. You know, they were they were tiny, petite women. So I was like, who will take a six footer in a television show? And even if they take somebody like me, who will they cast me with? And who will play my parents? It's like that because it's a long format. So, it's not a film where you can just play a character and be okay. How will they justify me on television? And it so happened that, that I got a television show first. Sandip Sikand contacted me and he's like, I have been looking for you for my heroine and we have found you. So, it just happened. And then it kept happening after that. After that, Nilanjana maam cast me for Kulfi Kumar Bajewala. And everybody was like, you cannot play a lead in the same channel, twice, you you know, in the same year. And none of it matters. If someone wants to, they will cast you," she said.
Throughout her career, Anjali has been vocal about the challenges faced by new actors, particularly when it comes to pay parity.
In the candid interview, Anjali Anand further spoke about the struggles faced by new actors in the industry, including pay disparity.
"But in any job that is true. But that is true in any job. But I think the actors are important. The actors, I think they're always trying. We have to do enough work to be demanding that much kind of that kind of money," she said. She also highlighted the disparity in pay between established actors and newcomers. "Today, agar meri film theatre mein lagti hai toh kaun dekhne ayega. 700 log zyada se zyada," (If my film is released in theatre hardly anybody will come to see me) she said, stressing that the number of people who know and support new actors is limited, which affects their earning potential.
Anjali, who has been open about her own struggles in the film industry, urged for better pay for new actors. "Pay us more," she said, emphasizing that actors need to be recognised and compensated for their hard work and dedication.
When we asked her if any producers have asked her to lose weight or look a particular type for any role, Anjali said: "how much more should I do to prove that that is not somebody who can See my work I can do."
"I dont like talking about this at all. but ye aik issue bhi hai jeevan ka why are we still talking about this? Do you know what happened? Yeah. You know, how much more should I do to prove that that is not somebody who can See my work I can do," she said, talking about the constant scrutiny she faces about her weight.
Anjali says her experiences have also made her realise the importance of self-worth and not getting bogged down by negativity.
Despite the challenges, Anjali has managed to carve out a niche for herself in the industry.
In Dabba Cartel, she is seen with prominent actors like Shabana Azmi and Jyotika. She is all praise for their performances and said it so was so much fun to work with all the women.
"Oh, so much fun. So much fun. And it's everybody's from such different, you know, everybody's, like, different age groups. We have different cities, different industries, everything in the, you know. It's just so much fun to work with," she said, describing her experience of working with the cast of "Dabba Cartel".
Anjali said her journey has not been without its struggles, and she has often felt like giving up but God had other plans.
"For lockdown in when I saw a couple of bad movies, and I was like, how are these people getting work? You know? How is it okay to, be an actor that is unserious, who is you know? You can just see it," she recalled.
As she looked back on her journey, Anjali said she is grateful for the opportunities she has received and the impact that OTT platforms have had on the industry, providing new opportunities for actors and changing the way content is consumed.
"I think OTT has saved a lot of, saved a lot of people's careers. I'm so happy just see many actors. You know, they're working around the around the year," she said.
Anjali also shared a delightful anecdote about meeting her idol, Shah Rukh Khan.
She revealed that she met SRK through her friend, who works as his business manager. Anjali admitted that she was initially hesitant to meet him but eventually did, although she was too starstruck to even look him in the eye.
"I did meet him, but, not I didn't want to. But, it was my friend. My friend works with him. She is his business manager, and, she came for a wedding. And she's like, I'm gonna make you meet him. I said, no chance. And, I was trying to run away, but, you need to meet. But I was trying to run away, and, she caught me and she said, And, actually, didn't even look him in the eye. He must have thought I'm so rude. But he did actually go and tell Karan (Johar) sir that he met me, and then Karan sir is like, he remembers you. Oh, so sweet," she recalled her meeting with SRK.
Despite the challenges Anjali has faced, she has managed to carve out a niche for herself in the industry and has proven that with hard work and dedication, anything is possible.
Dabba Cartel has been directed by Hitesh Bhatia of Sharmaji Namkeen fame. Besides Anjali Anand, the show stars veteran actress Shabana Azmi, actor Gajraj Rao, Jyotika, Nimisha Sajayan, and Shalini Pandey. The series was created by Shibani Akhtar, Vishnu Menon, Gaurav Kapur, and Akanksha Seda.
Anjali will be next seen in Bun Tikki with Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi and Abhay Deol.
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