Saiyami Kher thinks unconventional roles don't always allow room to prove one's merit

The actor who recalls being called ‘hopeless’ by people in Bollywood is basking in the success of her latest film

Seven years ago, the light-eyed, curly-haired Saiyami Kher made her presence felt as one of the protagonists in the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra-directorial Mirzya. The highly-anticipated fantasy romance tanked at the Box Office and Kher watched as the roles dried up, leaving her with no option but to focus on the positives and keep her eyes on the goal. Over the years, the girl from Nashik went on to win accolades for her performances in films such as Choked (2020) and 8 AM Metro (2023) as well as web series such as Special OPS (2020) and Breathe: IntoThe Shadows (2020). However, her crowning moment has come now with the critical acclaim coming her way for her performance as a paraplegic cricketer in R Balki’s Ghoomer. 

From cricketers to actors and filmmakers, Kher has received ample accolades for her performance from varied quarters. The biggest validation, however, came from Amitabh Bachchan who sent her a letter of appreciation along with a bouquet of flowers. In a chat with The Established, Kher speaks about the most special film of her career so far and what it took to get into the skin of the character. 

For Ghoomer, you had to learn to play cricket with your non-dominant arm. Can you tell us what it took from you—physically as well as mentally—to perform this role? Did the fact that you play cricket in real life make it any easier? 

Ghoomer has definitely been the most gruelling film I have done physically and emotionally. My director Balki had told me that if I don’t do this film, he won’t make it with another actor. The authenticity was there because I play the game but I had to still learn to play it with my left arm. It was very demanding physically. I broke a toe and injured my hand. But more than the physical aspect, it was the emotional aspect of the film that absolutely drained me, especially with the graph my character goes through.

As an actor who has tried to play a variety of characters in the last eight years, what do you look for in a script now? Are you open to smaller parts in ensemble films as well?  

I think any actor would give their heart and soul for films like Ghoomer or Choked because they are author-backed roles. Films like these have everything going for them. There are certain roles I have done in shows such as Special OPS and Breathe, or even my upcoming film Agnee which are ensemble projects. I did them because I genuinely liked the scripts and the worlds which had been created in them. The choice of roles is very intuitive for me. It does not matter if I am not leading them. Of course, you feel greedy because one wishes to do more but those opportunities are not so regular, so one has to keep working. I have to be excited to go to work—as long as that happens, I am good. 

Do you think choosing slightly unconventional roles has worked in your favour? Would you like to strike a balance with more mainstream roles? 

I’d love to strike a balance but I also need those opportunities. I haven’t got the song-and-dance, mainstream, big-ticket movies. I am not averse to them—in fact, I have grown up watching actresses dance in the snow wearing chiffon saris. I loved Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani. Unfortunately, I haven’t been offered those roles. I am always looking to do different things. Song-and-dance sequences might not be my comfort zone but I definitely want to do those roles because the more work you do, the better your craft gets. 

Your debut film Mirzya was not successful at the Box Office. Do you think your career would have taken a different trajectory if it had? What has failure/rejection taught you? 

Mirzya got a lot of eyeballs because of the hype around it but the film didn’t work for some reasons. Thereafter, people who had offered me films stopped answering my calls. That’s how it is, I guess. Having said that, Mirzya will always be very special [to me] because it was my first film. Of course, had it worked, life would have been much simpler as I would have been able to choose more from the pool. But I choose to look at the glass half-full. I learnt a lot from the film. 

You have mentioned earlier that you have been asked to get a nose job or straighten your curly hair. Do these things still bother you or have you learnt to drown out the noise?

It actually never really affected me. As an actor, you need to be thick-skinned yet vulnerable and sensitive. Fortunately, because of my upbringing, I am very secure with the person I am. We are all blessed in a certain way about how we look. If we all look the same way then it will seem that we have been made in a factory! I am very happy with my uniqueness. I am good with the things that some people think are flaws. Also, it is no longer about how much time you spend on developing your six-pack abs but your acting as well. If someone told me to hone my craft or better my diction or dance, I will take that constructive criticism seriously and work on bettering my skills. 

You will next be seen playing a firefighter in Agnee. Can you tell us about the prep you are undergoing for it?

It’s a very exciting role. I had to prep a lot doing fire drills among other things. It is an ensemble film with a lot of action. I didn’t know we had so many female firefighters—you learn so much with every project. I am waiting to go back to the film but right now, I am completely immersed in the world of Ghoomer.

Also Read: Actor Sidhant Gupta’s journey to 'Jubilee' hasn’t been an overnight one

Also Read: Babil Khan is coming into his own as an actor

Also Read: Why you can’t pin filmmaker Homi Adajania down to a niche