From playing the soft, demure but inherently strong Kumud Desai in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saraswatichandra to playing the brave and badass Major Monica Mehra in her OTT debut Code M, Jennifer Winget is truly the reigning queen of Indian Television. While it is easy to get popular by one successful show, sustaining success in showbiz is always tough, but Winget has managed to do so in a career spanning over two decades. Be it the girl next door look or the boss lady attitude, the actor nails it every time she is in the light. Winget doesn’t shy away from embracing her true self which is one of her many likeable qualities. The Beyhadh actress has fans all over the world and that speaks volumes of her as an artist. She winged her beautiful smile as she battled against several ups and downs in her life, which is why she rightly says “Wing it like Winget!”
In this oh-so-candid chat with FACE, our star opens up on being called a household name, what love means to her, the kind of characters written for women nowadays, who’s Jennifer when the camera’s not rolling, and much more… After working in the television industry, for two decades, you’ve become famous not just in India but beyond our country’s shores as well. And with more than half of the country’s population owning a Television set, they consider you a part of their family.
How do you deal with this responsibility of being a household name?
Without a doubt, it just makes me happy. It is what any artist craves for at the end of the day – the applause, the appreciation, the acceptance and in some cases, the literal adulation and love from your fans. I’ve been working in television for two decades now, long enough to be integrated as part of your audience’s household, where you are cared for, considered and prayed for just as any other member of the family. Through the shows you’re on, you become a part of their everyday routine. Occasionally allowing your audience to also live vicariously through you. They celebrate your highs and mourn with you in your lows. What better way to go about your job than being the reason for someone’s smile, happiness and joy, even if momentarily. To reach out to them in their sadness or make them feel an array of emotions without ever having met them. That’s why I love being an actor. I think that when you can touch people’s lives with what you do, it’s the most noble reward of your profession. And I consider myself very lucky to have been able to consistently do that since I first started out and hope for every opportunity to continue to do so. I do not see it as pressure at all as long as I stay true to myself and put out my talent the only way I’ve always known.
Simply knowing that your fans revel in your mere existence, and that your being there as part of their lives through everything you do is a blessing this immense, that it can’t be taken for granted; you just have to feel blessed and grateful about it all. Your chemistry with every actor you share screen space with looks so real and effortless that fans can’t help but ship you guys together by creating nicknames and hashtags.
As an actor, how does that make you feel about your performance coming off as so believable?
Yes! Well there’s only one thing that can mean then, right? That I am actually good at what I do! But if that isn’t the case, then I’ll just have to rethink my whole career; and honestly, there’s not a lot that I’m good at. So, ship away I say. I’ll take that on the chin! We may as well all sail happily on this boat, sorry, this very luxurious ship… together and forever!
On the other hand, it doesn’t take much time to form link up rumours of actors who work together. How do you react to those – do you laugh it off or do you prefer clearing the air?
There are times, well, MOST TIMES, when it does give me a good hearty laugh. But then again, there have also been times when things have been taken a tad too far. I won’t deny, in the initial years of my career, it did bother me – back then, maybe I took things more personally either when certain things were taken out of context or changed to suit the headlines. But over a period of time, I’ve learnt to let things go, not dwell or overthink anything, just take it all in my stride. And I can confirm, it’s a formula that works! In one of your interviews, you had mentioned that you love to play characters that are not just white or black, which, in fact is how humans are in the real world – flawed. There’s no textbook definition of a perfect heroine.
What is your opinion on the kind of characters that are written for women nowadays?
Exactly! It’s not like we didn’t have grey characters in shows or movies in the past. We did! But they were always portrayed in a very stereotypical way. Fortunately, that’s changed or is still in the process of changing, because the audience’s perception has changed. It’s a very discerning and intelligent audience that you’re catering to now; let’s not disregard that. You can’t treat them like they’re not. Period. You can’t be regressive in a progressive world. So, there needs to be a change in the way we look at things, people, relationships and life in general. As creators, you are setting an example, creating awareness, educating, challenging, motivating and inspiring, sometimes all at the same time, through the content you create and put out. It’s got to have heart to it! We’ve always had the quintessential hero, heroine and the villain in the movies and television but OTT has changed the game for us. It’s set a different perspective and made us look at all actors and characters in a completely different light. So, while there’s immense growth and change in the way we write and see women characters today, I still feel we have only just scratched the surface. I trust it can only get better from here on. From playing an innocent character like Zoya who had blind faith in love and whose life revolved around her husband to playing a bold character like Maya who had transformed from a naive girl to the ultimate boss lady and never gave up – in love or in revenge, you’ve stepped into the shoes of different kinds of lovers.
As Jennifer, what does love mean to you?
Oooh….That’s a tricky one! 🙂 Firstly, those were characters I played and their philosophies in life don’t apply to me – Jennifer Winget – as a person. Ok phew, glad we straightened that out. Now on to answer your question, love to me is (as cliche as it may come across) that warm, comfortable and easy feeling you get when you come back home. Where you immediately feel that sense of belonging, you feel respected, trusted and vice versa. Love shouldn’t have to be an emotional fight with the other person or with yourself. True love, I am certain, comes as easy and is as accessible in life’s lows as it is in its highs. Just the reassurance knowing that no matter what, we’ll get through this… together! Since we’re talking about Beyhadh, you set a benchmark for everyone in the industry by portraying a layered and complex character with such ease and it is considered a landmark serial in more ways than one. So,
after playing the bahu, the beti and all the goody two shoes characters in the past, the audience got to see a completely different side of you, more like Jennifer 2.0. Would it be right to claim that this show has been the highlight of your career?
It is definitely one of the shows I hold the closest to my heart, in not just one, but so many ways. Ironically, during filming, I too was going through a personal shift in my own life and Beyhadh helped ease that transition because I kind of became like Maya, in some ways, consumed by my work, and that was also what I needed at the time. So everything that I put into the show was reciprocated, lauded and appreciated in the way that it did, that was a good enough push for me in the right direction. It gave me the confidence to be one up on my potential – what I could do and achieve. It also humbled me and really helped me understand how blessed I truly was. I know I came out a stronger and mature person and actor after it. I think it’s safe to admit that it lent perspective in life, both personally and professionally.
If you could pick one quality from each or most of the characters that you’ve played so far, what qualities would you choose?
I would take the innocence and simplicity of Zoya, combine it with Kumud’s grace, add a dash of Monica’s grit and resilience, tie it all up nicely with Maya’s passion and confidence…and voilà! There you have it. Being in the public eye comes with its own set of pros and cons and the media has a big role to play in how people perceive actors because in the end, we dance according to the tunes of what’s trending on social media.
Being the private person that you are, how have you grown to make peace with it and shut this noise around you?
It’s on the job training, THIS! It’s definitely something I’ve learnt on the go, over the years. I’ll admit, it takes a while to wrap your head around it all, but then once you realise that even when people talk about you somewhere, it’s also possibly out of concern and not just to bash you, you look at it differently and say, “Ok, I get your point. I may or may not agree with you, but if it helps me to be better, I will take that advice.” If it’s not adding anything to my life, I just tune it out. Of course, this took a bit of practice, but I think I’ve been fortunate enough to have an immensely strong and consistent out-pouring of love from my fans – they’ve definitely proved, time and again, that they’re a force to reckon with. They really have been my guiding light that helps me get back up and better, every time. As far as social media goes, I don’t believe I dance to the tunes of whatever is trending whenever it is trending, because it’s tough to keep up with changing trends and fads. I do however make a conscious decision to go on a little social media detox every once in a while, for as you rightly said, I am, at my core, a very private person 🙂
As your fan, I think I can say this on record that the audience eagerly looks forward to your posts on social media, especially those reels where you’re being your goofy self. So, on behalf of all your fans, I take the responsibility of asking you who’s Jennifer in real life, when the camera’s not rolling?
Aww, thank you! But Jennifer is a normal girl, just like any other, who loves fun, travelling and working. She looks forward to spending time with her friends and family, loves to be amongst animals and spend time in nature. She hates cooking but loves food! 🙂 She may be in TV but is not about the drama. She isn’t sensitive, her thick skin courtesy – life! But worth mentioning is her emotional range that can go from beaut to blah momentously. Her friends will second this. I mean,
the girl is a hugger, but who doesn’t like a good hug?
Like any other girl, she loves a good laugh and to laugh a good loud laugh; Enjoys shopping and the finer things in life. She may not have everything figured out, but she takes one day at a time. She wakes up every single day, works hard, gives it her best and tries to conquer any battles. She is driven by faith, so she believes she will be back tomorrow to do it all over.
Since you look for something different in every project that you pick, we can’t wait to
witness you bring something fresh to the table. When can we expect to see you on our TV
screens again?
Sooner than soon!
Rapid Fire:
- What’s your favourite thing about yourself?
To try and look for the silver lining in any situation; A positive outlook.
- What would your perfect Sunday be like?
At home. Spending it with friends or family – the mood is usually easy and relaxed – we could
either be enjoying a cooked meal or ordering take out; this is generally over resounding
laughter and riveting conversations, which off late, have predominantly been about travel
plans to the next destination on our bucket list.
So yes, that’s a typical Sunday at home for me. All this, of course, with some great tunes in
the background… always!
- How would you describe your (clothing) style?
Minimalistic, comfy chic. No fuss, buss!
- If you could star in one of the 80/90s Hindi films, which film (and role) would you pick?
Hands down, Sridevi in Chaalbaaz or Lamhe.
- How do you manage stress?
Nothing that a good swim cannot heal or a good pet cannot handle.
- Do you ever google yourself?
Yes, of that I am guilty! I do, sometimes.
- One thing about women men need to know?
The worst thing you can do to get us to calm down, is to tell us to relax.
