I was once told I should consider plastic surgery: ‘Lunchbox’ actress Nimrat Kaur

I come from a completely non-film background. My father was an army officer. He was posted in Kashmir when terrorists took him hostage and killed him in January 1994. Following his death,my mother,sister and I moved to Delhi where my nana-nani lived. I went to DPS,Noida,for five years and later graduated from Shri Ram College of Commerce. My family was not much into movies,but I remember watching films featuring Madhuri Dixit,Sridevi and Anil Kapoor. I also enjoyed movies like Masoom,Mirch Masala and other Smita Patil films.

In my school and college days,I often found myself on stage during debates or cultural shows. After graduation,I figured that nothing resonated with me as much as performing arts. When I came to Mumbai,I did lots of commercials,even music videos,as I knew theatre did not pay. I met people for roles in films too,but I was wise enough to realise that I can’t live with the hope of being spotted at a coffee shop by a filmmaker. So I chose to learn. When I came here in 2004,I did not even know how to read a script.

One always has to make choices. I would have done 15 films by now had I not been selective. When I came into the industry,people had different opinions about how I look. Some told me I was “too pretty”,others said I wasn’t fair enough or tall enough. Nearly seven years ago,I was even advised by a filmmaker to consider plastic surgery. Soon,I stopped thinking about what works. At times,I was not comfortable with what I was being offered. I refused Anurag Kashyap’s Gulaal,as being a Sikh,I did not want to smoke on screen. But I am happy with the kind of launch I have got.

It is a very exciting time for actors as roles that can surprise them are being written. This was not the case 15 years ago. A film like The Dirty Picture would not have been possible then. Also we,including the audience,are more exposed to world cinema these days. Its effect has seeped into the industry. Filmmakers today have a wider vocabulary. Directors like Dibakar Banerjee,Shimit Amin and Ritesh Batra are not scared of failure and that has helped them move away from formulaic stories. Then there are people like Kashyap,who has created a space to nurture talents and has backed them all the way.

I have always wanted to be part of a story that interests me. If I have to dance,sing or play a man,I will if I am inspired or feel connected to the story and the person telling it. Nothing tempts me more than being able to tell a story I can connect with.

As told to Alaka Sahani