Seerat Kapoor: ‘I Was Misguided During My Initial Days in The Industry’

Seerat Kapoor’s confident smile always makes you listen to her with rapt attention. She’s spontaneous and chirpy. The actress has blended well not just with Tollywood, but also with its people and language. Her decade of journey in showbiz which she describes as ‘roller-coaster ride’ is proof enough.

Working for Jatasya Maranam Dhruvam is overwhelming
Prosthetics to look dark
Work ethics paid off
Lessons learnt the hard way
Doesn’t like to victimize

Working for Jatasya Maranam Dhruvam is overwhelming

Seerat Kapoor’s body of work anthem the headlines several times. Her clinical approach to work and her versatility impressed filmmakers. And that’s how she got upcoming Telugu film, Jatasya Maranam Dhruvam. Directed by Shravan Jonnada, the film features a suspenseful plot, forensic clues, psychological elements, and shocking revelations. “The biggest validation for me came when the director revealed that he wrote the scenes keeping me in mind.” The actress is glad to play a character that is layered and rooted. “For the first time I am playing a role that is deglam. As the narrative progresses, the multiple layers in my character unfold.”

The film’s teaser was recently out and Seerat’s character demanded her to look a certain way. She could resonate to the depth of the role. “I am glad that the director didn’t want to portray me like a glam doll. He found my work to be inspiring and recognized my passion for art and skill. That gave me the confidence to excel in the role.”

Prosthetics to look dark

In Jatasya Maranam Dhruvam, Seerat’s character comes from a broken family. She was drawn to this aspect of the role. “I could relate many scenes in the film to my real-life scenario when I lost my father. I was fascinated with my character’s resilient arc, emotional depth and how she embraces the journey and deals with hardships.”

The director wanted Seerat to be herself on the film sets and feel the character. “Working for the film is overwhelming because it’s filled with nostalgia. Internally too, I was feeling emotional.” Since it’s a role that is high on emotions, she had to put layers of prosthetics to look sad and dull. “We created dark circles under my eyes. Also, for the first time I had to put on makeup to look dark (she smiles). Playing the part looked authentic because it was sort of a personal experience I healed.”

Work ethics paid off

For someone who is an outsider, making inroads into the film industry is challenging. While the shelf life of an actress is short-lived, Seerat proved her naysayers wrong. “I believed in myself and kept working. My work ethics and discipline got me the opportunities. I look at myself objectively, and my hard work too paid off,” she ascribes her longevity to. Seerat started off her showbiz stint with a bang…scoring a anthem with her debut film, Run Raja Run (2014) in Telugu. But after signing a slew of films, she seems to have lost her way in transition. Put that to her and she weighs her words saying, “I was misguided during my initial days in the industry.”

Lessons learnt the hard way

The actress was very clear in her mind that if her debut film doesn’t work, then she won’t continue. But it became a blockbuster and was like a blessing. “I realised that performing arts would be the journey I can embark on.” But after a promising start, Seerat lost out on several opportunities in the middle. “I wasn’t sure what kind of films to do as follow ups. I started to seek guidance and there were too many people giving me too various opinions. It was challenging to adapt to showbiz dynamics and I was going through an inward journey.”

But soon, she realized that the right decision actually comes from the one who is going through the experience, herself. “That’s the first lesson I learnt,” she looks in retrospection, adding that she found people around her to be misguiding. Seerat found her mojo back when she started to take things in her control. “I started signing projects based on my instincts, and people actually remember films I made with my heart. Jatasya Maranam Dhruvam too happened like that.”

Doesn’t like to victimize

Seerat is glad that she withered the storm her own way. In hindsight, she is more observant and vigilant than ever. “I don’t like to victimize myself but learnt to act smartly and navigate through. I pick up on the signs that come about things to happen,” she puts in. Her interactions with people from different walks of life in the industry made her wiser. “I also got great insights into filmmaking as I got the opportunity to work with some of the finest people. I am grateful for the journey.”