Perseverance and self-confidence is what has got me here: Krishi Thapanda
- TNN
- Created : Feb 26, 2018, 01:00 IST
Synopsis
Actress Krishi Thapanda speaks about pay disparity, to the casting couch and her dislike for negative people
The bubbly actress Krishi Thanpanda, who gathered quite a fan following after her stint at the Bigg Boss Kannada house recently, is a girl with her head firmly fixed on her shoulders. Here she is — vocal about everything from pay disparity, to the casting couch and her dislike for negative people, even as she stays completely positive and absolutely fun to meet and be around. Excerpts…
A brat called Krishi Thapanda
I come from an army background. My father, as well as a lot of people in my family are from the army. Acting was not part of my plan. Not even in my wildest dreams. I know there are a few people who aspire to be an actor very early on in their lives. They are motivated so much, so that they prepare for this career accordingly. I was a notorious kid. Even though the focus at home has always been academics, I never used to like to study, I used to bunk classes. My parents caught me a lot of times. I had loads of friends, no girls, only boys. I used to be one of them, hang out aimlessly. I did my PU in Mysuru. We used to hang out to Balmuri Falls. I remember my dad used to stand near my tuition class to ensure I was attending the sessions. Even during exams, I would finish writing a paper in the morning, and though I had another exam the next morning, I would go to hang out with my friends. I guess my parents used to hate me back then for the kind of attitude I had towards studies. My brother, on the other hand, is very studious. He loves studying, in fact he still is studying even after his engineering, M Tech and now he wants to do his PhD. I did my PU in Mysuru. I used to be part of a dance troupe and rehearsals would go on for a long time. So, because of that, we used to have these crazy parent- child fights at home. I used to get too angry. So, after I finished my PU, I announced I wanted to go away to another city, and live my life without them constantly being after my case. I told them I would become successful on my own. They said ‘You are going nowhere, you are just a spoilt brat’. I came to Bengaluru and to survive here, I had to take up some sort of a job. Fortunately, I went for an interview at a corporate house. Even though they never take under grads, they took me on probation. Initially, they probably were looking at throwing me out after that time. I really worked hard as I was always was keen on being the best at whatever I did. But the job worked out fine and I continued all the way till I became an assistant manager.
While I was working there, I used to be extremely conscious about what I wore and how I looked. They used to call me a fashionista. There was a call for a state level beauty contest, and my friends convinced me to apply. I was not only shortlisted but I also won the Miss Karnataka crown. It was a pleasant shock to actually win. Movie offers started pouring in, but I was not sure if acting was what I wanted to do. Mainly because I was extremely comfortable in my work space. Then I heard from Anish Tejeshwar. This was for Akira. I do know the director, Naveen, was initially not keen on casting me. But after he met me, he was convinced that only I could play that role that he had in mind.
Moving career finally
When one is a salaried person, one feels safe. You know that there is that bit of money coming in at the end of the month. And you can plan your life and expenses accordingly. But a career in acting, which can be quite a tumultuous one, was calling out to me. The offer for my next film Kahi came in while I was working on Akira. It was a completely different role from what I had played in Akira. I played this quiet and matured woman. It was a pretty intense off-beat role and that was one my best experiences. That is when I realized I really loved this job. I quit my corporate life to follow my passion — yes, a pretty risky decision. The challenges that this new career put forth was hard to pass. I had not done any film course or gone through any kind of training. But the first time I faced a camera, I felt like the camera was my best friend and we have been in this constant relationship with each other — the camera loves me and I love the camera. There is always a lot of competition, new girls come and go. But I am glad people welcomed me. Eradu Kanasu happened opposite Vijay Raghavendra after that. And there are a few more movies lined up.
Say no to the casting couch
Frankly, the existence of the casting couch is one thing that keeps many talented actresses away from the film industry. I too had heard a lot of these stories. While these issues do exist, we also have a lot of genuine people here who encourage talent for what it is. That is what happened with me, luckily. The film industry is like this ocean where you will find all kinds of beautiful fish as well as sharks. Luckily, I have not come across too many of these ‘sharks’. Not too many, but yes, I have faced such situations. There are times when people have been as direct as ‘You will need to stay back and spend personal time here with the director or producer’. It was for a big project with big monies. But it is a choice that we as actresses need to make. We need to learn to say no and you can be sure that it will stop. Of course, at this point, when you say no to these sort of advances, you will surely stand to lose being cast in that project. But just imagine what will happen if all the actresses here said no. The film industry cannot function without actresses — no matter what sort of story they make, actresses will need to be cast. So if all of us say a unanimous no, then the makers will have no choice but to cast us without these uncalled for prepositions. It has to stop and we can, unitedly, make it stop.
Bigg Boss memories
Being part of the Bigg Boss house itself was the best decision or the best part of being there. I remember standing in front of that blue gate just before entering and I wanted to run away from there. I could not imagine life where everything from what time you wake up and sleep; to what time to eat and what to do with the time you have during the day. I don’t like being controlled and here I was going into a place that was going to be only about control. So getting in itself was like meeting a new challenge. I liked the idea of experimenting with myself and I decided to see how this would shape up and how I would be able to survive.
One thing I cannot stand is people with a negative attitude towards life. I rely hugely on the vibes and the moment I sense a negative vibe, I do my best to avoid the person altogether. You can’t do that when you are locked in a house with so many people. I don’t like being judged. So there were difficult situations. I wish I could just erase this one particular day while I was in the house. There were personal comments being passed and when I heard them, I could not wake up with a smile on my face. This went on for two days before I lost my cool. I yelled at everybody. It was so unlike what I am in real life. I cried and pleaded to be sent out of the house. It was not just the worst day I spent while I was in the Bigg Boss house, it was the worst day of my life.
Disparity in payments
I am not advocating equal payments for an actor and an actress, but I am concerned with the huge disparity in payments. Every film needs a female artist. Yet, you find yourself bargaining for a better deal all the time — especially since you know you deserve to be paid more than what is offered on the table. Even if you look at a complete hero-oriented film, one needs to have a heroine. But irrespective of the dedication and commitment you have to your role and your job, and the equal effort that you put into the schedules or even into learning a new skill for the role, or doing your own fights etc., the low pay for the women is never justified. If a male actor is paid `100, a female lead is paid just `1 in comparison. I think the difference is way too much. Even that `1 is split into four payments and most often that last part of the payment does not even come in.
Friends matter the most
I have very few, very close friends. A lot of people are aware that Shruthi Prakash and I are very close. But my closest friends since many years are Vinay and Anu. We know each other from the time we were around 6 years old. They know me in and out. They know what kind of a mood I am in even through one simple message. They understand how I need my own space and time. They never complain about anything, they never judge me about anything. There are also always there for me. There are times when they want to meet me, I might not be able to, but they always make time for me when I need them and I just love them for that. Shruthi is also a person like that. She just accepts me the way I am.
Social media obligations
I get so much love from people, from fans, I want to be able to do my bit to give back some love in return. We actresses are nowhere without our fans. Fans just want simple things like wanting to know what I eat, what I wear, where I am and how I am spending my time. And I give them that. I keep at least half an hour aside to chat with people. Just a small message or reaction brings in so much happiness sometimes.
A brat called Krishi Thapanda
I come from an army background. My father, as well as a lot of people in my family are from the army. Acting was not part of my plan. Not even in my wildest dreams. I know there are a few people who aspire to be an actor very early on in their lives. They are motivated so much, so that they prepare for this career accordingly. I was a notorious kid. Even though the focus at home has always been academics, I never used to like to study, I used to bunk classes. My parents caught me a lot of times. I had loads of friends, no girls, only boys. I used to be one of them, hang out aimlessly. I did my PU in Mysuru. We used to hang out to Balmuri Falls. I remember my dad used to stand near my tuition class to ensure I was attending the sessions. Even during exams, I would finish writing a paper in the morning, and though I had another exam the next morning, I would go to hang out with my friends. I guess my parents used to hate me back then for the kind of attitude I had towards studies. My brother, on the other hand, is very studious. He loves studying, in fact he still is studying even after his engineering, M Tech and now he wants to do his PhD. I did my PU in Mysuru. I used to be part of a dance troupe and rehearsals would go on for a long time. So, because of that, we used to have these crazy parent- child fights at home. I used to get too angry. So, after I finished my PU, I announced I wanted to go away to another city, and live my life without them constantly being after my case. I told them I would become successful on my own. They said ‘You are going nowhere, you are just a spoilt brat’. I came to Bengaluru and to survive here, I had to take up some sort of a job. Fortunately, I went for an interview at a corporate house. Even though they never take under grads, they took me on probation. Initially, they probably were looking at throwing me out after that time. I really worked hard as I was always was keen on being the best at whatever I did. But the job worked out fine and I continued all the way till I became an assistant manager.
While I was working there, I used to be extremely conscious about what I wore and how I looked. They used to call me a fashionista. There was a call for a state level beauty contest, and my friends convinced me to apply. I was not only shortlisted but I also won the Miss Karnataka crown. It was a pleasant shock to actually win. Movie offers started pouring in, but I was not sure if acting was what I wanted to do. Mainly because I was extremely comfortable in my work space. Then I heard from Anish Tejeshwar. This was for Akira. I do know the director, Naveen, was initially not keen on casting me. But after he met me, he was convinced that only I could play that role that he had in mind.
Moving career finally
When one is a salaried person, one feels safe. You know that there is that bit of money coming in at the end of the month. And you can plan your life and expenses accordingly. But a career in acting, which can be quite a tumultuous one, was calling out to me. The offer for my next film Kahi came in while I was working on Akira. It was a completely different role from what I had played in Akira. I played this quiet and matured woman. It was a pretty intense off-beat role and that was one my best experiences. That is when I realized I really loved this job. I quit my corporate life to follow my passion — yes, a pretty risky decision. The challenges that this new career put forth was hard to pass. I had not done any film course or gone through any kind of training. But the first time I faced a camera, I felt like the camera was my best friend and we have been in this constant relationship with each other — the camera loves me and I love the camera. There is always a lot of competition, new girls come and go. But I am glad people welcomed me. Eradu Kanasu happened opposite Vijay Raghavendra after that. And there are a few more movies lined up.
Say no to the casting couch
Frankly, the existence of the casting couch is one thing that keeps many talented actresses away from the film industry. I too had heard a lot of these stories. While these issues do exist, we also have a lot of genuine people here who encourage talent for what it is. That is what happened with me, luckily. The film industry is like this ocean where you will find all kinds of beautiful fish as well as sharks. Luckily, I have not come across too many of these ‘sharks’. Not too many, but yes, I have faced such situations. There are times when people have been as direct as ‘You will need to stay back and spend personal time here with the director or producer’. It was for a big project with big monies. But it is a choice that we as actresses need to make. We need to learn to say no and you can be sure that it will stop. Of course, at this point, when you say no to these sort of advances, you will surely stand to lose being cast in that project. But just imagine what will happen if all the actresses here said no. The film industry cannot function without actresses — no matter what sort of story they make, actresses will need to be cast. So if all of us say a unanimous no, then the makers will have no choice but to cast us without these uncalled for prepositions. It has to stop and we can, unitedly, make it stop.
Bigg Boss memories
Being part of the Bigg Boss house itself was the best decision or the best part of being there. I remember standing in front of that blue gate just before entering and I wanted to run away from there. I could not imagine life where everything from what time you wake up and sleep; to what time to eat and what to do with the time you have during the day. I don’t like being controlled and here I was going into a place that was going to be only about control. So getting in itself was like meeting a new challenge. I liked the idea of experimenting with myself and I decided to see how this would shape up and how I would be able to survive.
One thing I cannot stand is people with a negative attitude towards life. I rely hugely on the vibes and the moment I sense a negative vibe, I do my best to avoid the person altogether. You can’t do that when you are locked in a house with so many people. I don’t like being judged. So there were difficult situations. I wish I could just erase this one particular day while I was in the house. There were personal comments being passed and when I heard them, I could not wake up with a smile on my face. This went on for two days before I lost my cool. I yelled at everybody. It was so unlike what I am in real life. I cried and pleaded to be sent out of the house. It was not just the worst day I spent while I was in the Bigg Boss house, it was the worst day of my life.
Disparity in payments
I am not advocating equal payments for an actor and an actress, but I am concerned with the huge disparity in payments. Every film needs a female artist. Yet, you find yourself bargaining for a better deal all the time — especially since you know you deserve to be paid more than what is offered on the table. Even if you look at a complete hero-oriented film, one needs to have a heroine. But irrespective of the dedication and commitment you have to your role and your job, and the equal effort that you put into the schedules or even into learning a new skill for the role, or doing your own fights etc., the low pay for the women is never justified. If a male actor is paid `100, a female lead is paid just `1 in comparison. I think the difference is way too much. Even that `1 is split into four payments and most often that last part of the payment does not even come in.
Friends matter the most
I have very few, very close friends. A lot of people are aware that Shruthi Prakash and I are very close. But my closest friends since many years are Vinay and Anu. We know each other from the time we were around 6 years old. They know me in and out. They know what kind of a mood I am in even through one simple message. They understand how I need my own space and time. They never complain about anything, they never judge me about anything. There are also always there for me. There are times when they want to meet me, I might not be able to, but they always make time for me when I need them and I just love them for that. Shruthi is also a person like that. She just accepts me the way I am.
Social media obligations
I get so much love from people, from fans, I want to be able to do my bit to give back some love in return. We actresses are nowhere without our fans. Fans just want simple things like wanting to know what I eat, what I wear, where I am and how I am spending my time. And I give them that. I keep at least half an hour aside to chat with people. Just a small message or reaction brings in so much happiness sometimes.
