By Tanishka Juneja
Be it her appearances in shows such as “College Romance”, “Dude” or “Udan Patolas”, or her quirky yet relatable content on Instagram, actress Apoorva Arora never fails to bring a smile on your face with how honestly and passionately she approaches her craft. Having worked in Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi and Punjabi films before reaching where she is in the Hindi cinema today was an entire journey in itself for Arora.
In an exclusive interview with FACE, the actress opened up about how OTT has changed the face of the entertainment industry, what she enjoys about being an actor, her love for dancing and much more…
You got a chance to share screen space with renowned actors such as Paresh Rawal in “OMG – Oh My God!” and Akshay Kumar in “Holiday: A Solider is Never Off Duty” in the initial years of your acting journey. What were your key takeaways from working on both these projects and/or with such actors?
There were a lot of things for a young impressionable artist to learn from them and some of them might have been subconscious also, but out of the few things that I can remember, the first one would be their professionalism and dedication without a doubt. I was told that Akshay Kumar (sir) had gotten on a plane and he reached the set at 5 in the morning, took a shower in his vanity and started shooting right away. So, if you get to hear these kinds of things at a young age, you realize that making a film or being a part of a film is not an easy job. You have to be ready to give it your all. So, that’s one thing, and of course, when you see an actor who has the capability and is in the position to determine the mood of the set, the vibe of the set, how do they eventually direct it towards the right mood that the set should be in, you know? Apart from that, both of them were very chilled out and knew how to handle things.
During the pandemic, there was a sudden rise in the OTT platforms, especially in India. For someone who ruled the OTT space last year with amazing performances in “College Romance Season 3” and “Dude Season 2”, how do you think OTT has changed the face of the entertainment industry?
OTT has brought about a positive change because it’s exposing the audience to a number of possibilities. We’ve only spoken about artists in this context so far. I think it’s great because it also increases opportunities for technicians as well. The scope to experiment is way more than before. That being said, it’s obviously great for actors to be offered different kinds of characters and get the respect and love they deserve.
You started acting at a very young age and were home-schooled during the final years of your education. And during one of your interviews, you also mentioned that through “College Romance” you could enjoy the campus life which you otherwise couldn’t. So, apart from getting a chance to experience different things by playing varied characters, what’s something you truly enjoy about being an actor?
Being an actor exposes you to all kinds of experiences and life lessons. Most days in my life are adventures. Even though I didn’t get to experience the college, I wouldn’t go back in time to change anything.
Recently, social media has become a game of numbers that people end up putting their mental health at risk. How does one draw a line in order to keep the toxicity out of their mind?
It takes a lot of work to be able to get yourself to stop worrying about social media numbers in today’s times because most conversations are about this. But fortunately, I’ve achieved a certain balance and it’s a happy space in my head. My main goal is to always keep the artist in me happy and leave the rest to my audience.
Speaking of which, we absolutely enjoy watching your dance videos on Instagram, which are a perfect blend of sassy, goofy, and hotness if I may add. Tell us something about your connection with music and dance, and do you think it’s important for actors to indulge themselves in other forms of creativity apart from acting?
Thank you! Dance is and will always be my first love. It’s because of my training in Kathak that I was drawn towards acting in the first place. It’s very important to learn everything an actor can, because all of it eventually adds up to how you perform on screen.
Out of all the characters you’ve played, which character do you think is the most and least like you? And why?
Bhavna from “Badboli Bhavna” is the least like me because I don’t relate to her mindset. Her artistic expression differs from mine in many ways.
Charulata from “Mugulu Nage” is a lot like me because of the sarcasm mainly, but also because of the boundaries she’s learnt to set for herself.
Lastly, a lot of female actors have come forward and said this on record that it’s a better time to be a female actor than a male actor. What’s your take on that statement?
According to me, there’s still a lot to be done before we can claim that. Even though there are strong women characters, I feel that there’s still a lacking when it comes to writing and representation. That being said, it’s a great time to be an actor for sure. There are a number of opportunities and we’re seeing some great performances these days.
