Exclusive - Kritika Kamra says it is difficult for famous TV actors to be accepted in other roles

Actress Kritika Kamra, who is soon going to be seen as a cop in the thriller series Gyaarah Gyaarah on Zee5, spoke about how she made her transition from TV to Bollywood and finally OTT.

In an exclusive conversation with MoneyControl, Kritika Kamra revealed why it is difficult for actors who became a known face on TV to be accepted in other roles.

Kritika, who became a household name thanks to her hit TV show Kitani Mohabbat Hai as Arohi, said when you become popular on TV and seen daily, 'people get so attached to these characters that they don't want to see you as somebody new.'

Were you overexposed?

So, this is the general notion that people have about television, especially people who've been really popular on television. It's not for everybody, but, like, once you've been accepted as a character, that happened to me twice, thrice in my TV career. When you become a household name, what comes with it is a lot of love, a lot of familiarity, and a lot of popularity. But what also comes with it is that people are so attached to these characters. They don't want to see you as somebody new."

Kritika said when the onus comes on the actor to maintain that character, then it is time to 'take a step back and go away from public memory.'

"And even the makers can't imagine you doing other things because they've seen you in that character for a very long time and they're aware of that image of you. So then what happens is that the onus comes on the actor, and I'm sure then you have to take a step back. You have to, like, go away from public memory, work on yourself, come back, and it's only through auditions that you move ahead. It's only that your work is going to show what you're capable of," she added.

Kritika, who was seen in hit shows like Kuch Toh Log Kahenge and Reporters, said that's when she took a break and started giving auditions for roles.

"That's why, when I also took a break, I never once shied away from auditions. I've never once shied away from taking the initiative of saying that, you know what? Why don't I audition for this? And that's why I've got the kind of roles, or, you know, the versatile sort of parts that I've got. It's not that they were the roles that came to me on a platter. I had to go and convince people that I could play. I had to go and convince people that I could play a police officer. So, but this is a choice that one has to make because if one wanted to be comfortable in a space and be successful and popular, let's stick to television. But that is not the drive. The drive is to become an actor and be known for acting skills more than anything else; then it's important to continuously work on yourself and prove yourself," she added.

Also Read: Dhairya Karwa on Deepika Padukone: She is really grounded 

Kritika will be seen in the role of DSP Vamika in Gyaarah Gyaarah, opposite Raghav Juyal and Dhairya Karwa. The show is going to stream from August 9.

Kritika said she has really worked hard to land the role that she is now doing on OTT.

It's not easy to land those roles. There are many more opportunities right now, but there are also many more people vying for them. You know, whether they are television actors or, I don't like to say, television actors, but, like, whether they are the actors who've done some work before or absolutely new people or what happens is auditions make this process very democratic. Anybody who is good for the part can come and read for the part and do an audition, and they'll get it. That's only possible on OTT because there is no baggage of it's making opening," said Kritika.

Like Kritika, Raghav has also made a jump from TV. He quit his successful stint on TV as a dancer and host of reality TV shows to try his luck in Bollywood and now on OTT.

Talking about her role of DSP Vamika in Gyaarah Gyaarah, Kritika said: "What drew me to this role was the fact that I've never played a police officer before. It came to me right after I had finished playing a gangster on screen, in fact. So, it was a very interesting, pleasant surprise to be asked to be on the other side of the law and finally doing things the right way. I thought that was interesting. An interesting space for me to explore, and then when I read the script, I found the whole mysticism angle of it. The mystery of two walkie-talkies connecting and past and present connecting."

She said it was an interesting script to explore. 

When asked if she was skeptical about taking on the role, Kritika said that part did cross her mind, but after reading the script, she liked the mystery aspect of it.

"Yes, that part did cross my mind. But when I started reading it, this whole mystery aspect of it, of the two timelines connecting, I thought there was a sort of fantasy element. Right? Like, it's almost like it's out of the ordinary. It's not something that we've seen in life. It's not something that we've seen in Hindi films or series. I felt that this is a nice spin to it because this changes everything. And usually, we've seen people available to them. But now there is almost like an intervention where something so crazy is now a part of their toolkit. How are they going to use the communication with an officer in the past who solved crime today to change the dynamics completely?" she concluded.

Also read: Raghav Juyal says made a conscious decision to quit TV for Bollywood: “Dheere dheere paisa aik dum nil hone laga aur fame bhi jane laga” | Exclusive

Bollywood debut 

Kritika Kamra made her Bollywood debut in 2018 with Mitron and was next seen in a hit OTT show Taandav in 2022. Her famous shows are Kaun Banegi Shikhawati (2022) and Bambai Meri Jaan (2023).

Gyaarah Gyaarah is directed by Umesh Bisht and produced by Karan Johar and Guneet Monga.

She will be next seen as a gangster in Matka King.