‘Easy to become famous today’

Kritika Kamra enjoyed widespread fame on TV, with her characters like Arohi in ‘Kitani Mohabbat Hai’ and Dr Nidhi Verma in ‘Kuch Toh Log Kahenge’ remaining popular to this day. However, it wasn’t the fame she was chasing. Her drive has always been to take on challenging roles. Kritika doesn’t mince words when she says that OTT has given her challenging roles in ‘Tandav’, ‘Bambai Meri Jaan’ and now ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’. Her portrayal of Vamika Rawat, a cop in ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’ on ‘Zee5’, has earned her a lot of praise. ‘Millennium Post’ chats with the actress to discuss OTT, fame in the age of social media and more.

Your performance as a cop in ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’ has been widely appreciated. Is it a conscious choice for you to continually break your image?

It is definitely a conscious effort on my part to choose roles that offer something new to explore and where I don’t repeat myself. I want to challenge myself and see how far I can go and what my range as an actor is. It’s more of an experiment for me. I’m hoping that along the way, I get rewarded for these risky choices and do justice to my characters.

You have been part of notable projects like ‘Tandav’, ‘Bambai Meri Jaan’ and now ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’. You seem to be really enjoying this phase of your career, where the industry is also recognising your potential as an actor.

I waited very long for this. I am enjoying the space I’m in currently because I had to take a long break and really push myself, auditioning and meeting people to gain the confidence of makers to get these roles. After my break from TV, I took my time. I’m in no hurry to get any kind of overnight stardom. I’ve experienced popularity on TV, but what drives me now are new immersive experiences. That’s why I constantly seek out complex characters and try to work with people known for storytelling, so I can learn something new each time. Now, I can safely say I’m in a place where there’s a variety to choose from.

This has only been possible because I broke that ‘type’ in the past. I’m conscious of that because we’re in an industry where it’s very easy for people to box you in. That happens all the time. As I said, it’s more about surprising myself. But if I get appreciation along the way, I can’t ask for anything more.

But do you ever feel disheartened, considering how popular you were on TV and now having to prove yourself again on OTT?

I don’t feel sad. It is challenging, though. I’d be lying if I said it’s a breeze. I love it, but it’s challenging to leave my comfort zone. Of course, it was difficult to leave TV, but it was a conscious decision. I made it because I don’t think popularity drives me. I want to be known for my acting. It’s very easy to become famous nowadays with Instagram and everything. It’s so easy to get followers, views, attention or popularity. But I don’t see that as a life goal. That’s why my choices are completely different. I understand that if I take the road less travelled, it’s going to take me longer to get to wherever I want to be. So, I’m trying to enjoy the journey.

You’re enjoying doing OTT.

I definitely am. I believe some of the best writing is on OTT, especially for female characters. Take the way my character has been written in ‘Gyaarah Gyaarah’. It has so many shades. I’m drawn to strong-headed women characters. I feel that’s the representation that television lacked at times. Even on TV, I tried to make those choices by always choosing women who had a career or an identity beyond being the ideal ‘bahu’ or ‘beti’. Many women don’t see themselves represented on screen, but thanks to streaming platforms, we now have those kinds of roles.

Do you enjoy watching crime thrillers?

I’ve actually been part of a few crime dramas. I think they appeal to the human instinct of curiosity. You feel like you are part of it, just like solving a puzzle.

Fame Game

You were very successful on TV. Even five years ago, the kind of Hindi serials we watched changed a lot.

Frankly, I haven’t watched TV in quite some time. I think that in itself says a lot because there are so many other things to watch online. I’m not really keeping track or have any insight into the current TV scenario. But it’s very difficult to hold someone’s attention in today’s times. We were on TV and social media. Back then, popularity was different because we weren’t as accessible on social media. There was a certain charm and people wanted to know more about you. People would turn up on sets, write letters and things like that. But now, you don’t need that anymore. You can see everyone online. Sometimes, it feels like you can see everything about a person on their social media. So, the need for that sort of charm has disappeared. Everyone has become more approachable, more reachable and more relatable. Now, the definitions of stardom, not just on television but everywhere, have completely changed.