From an engineering student to a National Award-winning actor, Kriti Sanon has carved a remarkable journey since her debut in the showbiz industry. Speaking at the Times Now Summit on Thursday, the ‘Heropanti’ actor opened up about the challenges of being an outsider in Bollywood and credited Shah Rukh Khan as a significant inspiration in the insider-outsider debate.
“I always believe that everyone has their own journey and their own pressures,” said Kriti. “My first film was ‘Heropanti’, which was with a star kid, Tiger Shroff. We both were getting launched together but we both had different pressures, where he had the pressure of being compared to his father, Jackie Shroff. And I had the pressure of, I hope people notice me, I hope they know my name.”
Reflecting on her initial struggles, Kriti shared anecdotes about being unrecognized. “Being an outsider, of course, it takes a while for people to register to know your name, to match your name to your face. For the longest time, they were like ‘voo Tiger Shroff ki film mein aaye thi’ at the airport. They used to address me sometimes,” she added.
Kriti further elaborated on her experience of working with Shah Rukh Khan in ‘Dilwale’, saying, “Shah Rukh Khan is an absolute outsider and the best example of the insider-outsider debate that we keep having. It is a matter of talent eventually.”
Currently, Kriti is gearing up for her upcoming film ‘Crew’, in which she stars alongside Kareena Kapoor Khan and Tabu. The film, produced under the banners of Balaji Telefilms and Anil Kapoor Film & Communications Network, is set to hit theaters on March 29.
‘Crew’ is a story of three women and is touted as a laugh-riot, set against the backdrop of the struggling airline industry. Tabu, Kareena, and Kriti play the roles of “bad**” air hostesses who get entangled in a web of lies while planning to earn a lot of money and raise the glam quotient.
