Saiyami Kher completed 10 years in Bollywood about three weeks ago. She made her Hindi film debut with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s ‘Mirzya’, opposite Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor. The film failed at the box office, but it opened doors for her, and she went on to work with Anurag Kashyap, R Balki and Priyadarshan. In a heartfelt Instagram note reflecting on her journey, she revealed that she was ‘written off’ before her career even began and was called a ‘villager’. She also recalled being given unsolicited advice to date an actor or director, or get a lip job, as supposedly easier ways to break in.
Saiyami Kher on offers after ‘Mirzya’
In a conversation with News18, Saiyami looked back on the last decade and shared whether Mirzya quickly led to lucrative offers. She recalled, “After I finished shooting for Mirzya and before it released, I was offered two very big films. The brief given to me for them was – teen gaane hai aur hero ke saath do scenes hai. I wasn’t even given the scripts.”Even as a newcomer, Kher didn’t hesitate to decline those projects. She says, “It wasn’t very difficult to say no to them. The screen time can be small or big, but my character has to drive the narrative forward. I would rather be part of a film where I can say that I play a very important character than do an insignificant part in a big film.”“I did the series with Abhishek Bachchan. It wasn’t the central character, but it changed the arc of the whole story. I love sets. It’s my happy space. If I can’t wake up happy about going to work, that’s reason enough for me to say no to a project,” says Saiyami, recalling how signing ‘Breathe: Into the Shadows’ years later reaffirmed why she chose to become an actor.
Saiyami Kher on insecure male co-stars
Alongside the career highs came difficult moments with insecure male co-stars. “Not everyone can be secure. This industry is such that everyone is always hustling and it breeds insecurity. Sometimes, superstars don’t wait to give you a reaction if it’s your close-up. Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan and Akshay (Kumar) sir are exceptions,” she shares.
Saiyami Kher’s wish to work with Priyadarshan
Ask Saiyami about her dream collaboration, and she doesn’t hold back. “I want to do a comedy film with Priyan sir. I’ve been told that he repeats his actors. I wasn’t subtle at all when I told him that I want to do his next film. I can hold a placard and tell him, ‘Priyan sir, I’m ready for your 100th film.’ He works with complete clarity. He knows what he wants. He shoots exactly what’s needed. There’s a whole debate going on about working hours on a film set but on his sets, there’s no question about that. In Haiwaan, we’ve sometimes wrapped up work in two to three hours,” adds the actor, who is also preparing for her international debut with an Indo-Russian drama.