We still believe that fair skin is superior, fair girls are prettier: Esha Gupta
29/06/2022
Esha Gupta has never shied away from her bold and beautiful image. She's never let the trolls or negativity stop her from sharing her photos on social media. Likewise, she's never cried foul about a lack of opportunities in films, her flops and failures or her being typecast in grey roles. She's embraced her career and pitfalls with the same confidence as she's accepted her dark complexion and Indian features. She's unabashed about her choices and her looks. Having spent a decade in the movies, she doesn't mind a slow-paced but assured career graph. In this week's Big Interview, Esha talks about playing negative roles with aplomb, loving her body and not letting her outsider status break her spirit. Excerpts...
You’ve preferred to play female characters with grey shades in your films and projects. What's been the motivation to do so?
I believe it’s very easy to play the damsel in distress. It's tougher to play the grey character or the strong one. I think it's not because of any other reason, but the entire perception of what being a woman is like. I'm not saying this with respect to society - the entire world feels that a woman needs help. There’s a perception that a woman can’t reach anywhere status wise. She is considered physically weak because human society has taught us to think that way. If you look at the animal kingdom, things are different. It's the lioness, who actually goes out, preys and attacks to get the food. The lion doesn't do anything.
Being in the entertainment industry for almost a decade now, you’ve seen Bollywood change and now with OTT, do you feel an actor still faces the pressure of staying relevant?
Things have changed. Today, there’s a pressure of doing good and different work rather than putting out the same repetitive content. Even if there’s no consistency of having back-to-back projects, it doesn’t affect an actor all that much. Earlier, films and projects used to have similar plots: hero-heroine mein pyaar, they’ll either have a financial difference, or they'll have the class divide. The good thing is that now people actually want to see the reality or the different altercations that are being shown through web content. So OTT makes you want to be more relevant, be more audience-driven and give the viewers great content.
Are you discerning or extra cautious when it comes to choosing work? Why don't we see you in more films and projects?
Like I said, now there's a lot of work for everyone. Earlier, I didn’t have the privilege of choice, I used to keep taking up work. But now I can pick and choose, because making money is not my priority anymore.
I also come from the mindset that there are 20 other things one can do to earn. If you have to just make money, you cannot consider acting or films as the ideal career. Of course, I still want to be respected as someone who’s good with her work and I still want to be a part of great projects. But when big productions come to you with offers that don't have important roles and offer you no money, I don't want to do that.
But when I was offered Ashram, I don't think my agency even spoke about the money. We were just focussed on wanting to lock the deal.
Because you just want to be a part of the project.
But money is important, considering this career gives you your livelihood. Why then the aversion to a good pay cheque?
Because I became an actor by chance. From doing my law, when my practice was going just to start, I got the opportunity of becoming an actor. But I also realised that in life you can do events, public performances and many other things where you make money. But when it comes to films, one must pick up good work.
The offers that I was getting weren't pleasing me or making me satisfied. I did not want that after 20 years my kids would watch my films and say, 'Yuck, what has she done?' or 'What is she looking like?'. If it looks cheap and I don't mean cheap in a sexual way, I just mean, it doesn't make sense. I don't want to be a part of that.
What's changed in your life and career over the past few years?
If you ask me, what is the best thing in my life right now? The focus is not about me having a relationship, because my life doesn't revolve around that. Today my life revolves around interactions, interviews and reflecting on how I have gone through ups and downs.
One piece of advice that you would give yourself a decade ago?
Maybe I would have told myself, 'Don't do the acting course, just follow your dreams and become a lawyer'. But even then, I think, I would have still become an actor, because I really believe what is meant for you will find you.
Perhaps I'll just tell my younger self to be happy that you don't have a telephone. Just be happy that you have a real life.
Be happy that you can go out and play games. I'd also say, 'Once you grow up, life is going to change, the world will change and never let anyone judge you'.
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