EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW! Tripti Dimri: I Am Lucky, I Met Good People, Got Good Films At The Beginning Of My Career

Q. Audience has always loved your work. As an artist, how do you contemplate appreciation?

A. As an actor, you get a lot of confidence. I remember while doing Laila Majnu, I was very underconfident at that time because I have not done any acting workshops. But people liked my work, so it gave me some confidence. After that, when Bulbbul was praised, I felt a little more confident. Even on the sets of Bulbbul, I didn't have the poise to give any advice or ask questions. But while working in Qala, things changed. I realized that people have given so much love, so I should also learn to believe in myself. It affects your performance a lot. When you start thinking like an actor, you see and analyse what more you can give to the character.

Q. How easy or difficult was it to adapt the characters like Bulbbul and Qala; as both the parts are quite dark?

A. Anvita (Dutt), my director helped me a lot. She is very sensitive and believes in working with a lot of love. She also knows that as an actor how far you have to go mentally to play such dark characters. Sometimes you get so lost in the world of the characters that you start thinking like them. Playing such a character does have an impact on you personally. At that moment if someone stands in front of you and says that I am here for you, then you get a different level of confidence. Anvita makes me feel very comfortable.

Q. How interesting has it been to be a part of Anvita Dutt's world back to back (Bulbbul and Qala)?

A. Magical. While working with her, you just get detached from the outside world. I always feel the same way. When I was working with her, I was completely cut off from the rest of the world. I didn't even feel like talking to anyone else, because you just think about the character, think about that world. Meenal Agarwal, our set designer, designed the entire set in such a way that the moment we stepped on the set, it felt like our world. It is a very special experience.

Q. And it also must have felt good that a director is giving you a chance to show your full potential as an actor.

A. Absolutely. Talking about Qala, I didn't even know that I would be able to do this. I myself was very scared when I read the script for the first time. I used to think how I will be able to connect to the audience because everything is internal here. Dialogues are very less. But Anvita had full faith in me. Her faith gave me confidence. We talked a lot about this character and her world. Anvita has a special quality that she knows very well, how to get work out of an actor.

Q. Do you have any special process to immerse yourself in the character or does it happen naturally?

A. It depends. Sometimes it's a switch on- switch off thing, but sometimes it takes a lot of focus. At that time I like to sit alone. I listen to music depending on the mood of the scene. Somehow it works well for me.

Q. Both Imtiaz Ali and Anvita Dutt are very close to music. Did you bond with them on this?

A. Absolutely, absolutely. I think I am very lucky in this regard. Laila-Majnu's album was also a big hit. Now it is the same with Qala. There are five songs in this film and all five lyricists are Anvita's friends. This time I also got a chance to see and understand the process very closely. I am playing the role of a singer in the film and there are scenes where I am sitting with the lyricists trying to compose the tune. Anvita wanted me to see in reality also how all this happens. So for the first time, I saw a song being made from scratch. It was a very interesting experience for me. And the most important thing I realised was that there was no competition between all these people. Everyone was working so beautifully in harmony with each other.

Q. Are you competitive as an actor?

A. When you enter this industry and you see that people are doing better than you, then somewhere that feeling of competition comes. I will not say that I never had this feeling. But slowly you start realizing that this feeling is not benefiting you in any way. Rather, it will work negatively for you in this industry. So, with the kind of films I did, I grew more confident in my craft. Today I am at that point where I don't care about anyone. I feel that I should do my work with full honesty. The rest will be given to whoever belongs to him. Laila-Majnu, Bulbbul, Qala was mine, that's why no one could snatch it from me. The same thing works on others as well.

Q. The special thing is that you have played the titular role in all three films.

A. (Laughs) This is very interesting because everyone tells me that you only do films with title roles. I had heard that one gets title roles after a long time in career. But I got this at just the beginning of my career. So this is something that I can finally show off.

Q. How do you feel about your journey so far?

A. I am very satisfied and feel very lucky that I am getting the kind of work that I wanted to do. I am learning things I wanted to learn. Meeting the right people who want to see me grow, and also who want to grow with me. Hits and flops are part of career, it will eventually happen, but in the beginning, if you get to do good work, it works as a motivation.

Q. As an actor, do you feel relieved as there is no box office pressure with OTT release?

A. I haven't felt the pressure of numbers yet. I had only one theatrical release and that too at the starting of my career. The remaining two films have come on OTT only. But still, I believe that my work is to act. Whatever happens after that is not in my hands. I love my job, but acting is just a part of my life, not my life.

Q. Kangana Ranaut had written a special post for you after watching Qala. Did you two also talk personally on this?

A. When she posted that on Instagram, I messaged her back. I found her message very sweet. I have seen her work and I admire her very much. She is such a good actress and when you get praise from such an artist, it feels happy. I hope that I will continue to get this love from everyone.

Q. Did you always wanted to be an actor?

A. (Laughs) I was never good at studies. So I knew I had to do something else, but didn't know what to do. Slowly the path was paved itself for me. My brother has a friend who is a photographer. He just said one day that let's do a test shoot. So we did that. It was he who sent my pictures somewhere. Then from there, I started getting print shoots. From there he sent the pictures elsewhere. Then audition calls started pouring in. So this is how it started. Slowly I fell in love with the process of acting and then I realized that this is what I wanted to do.

Q. Did you had to struggle in the initial phase of the journey?

A. The beginning was a bit rough. There was a bit of conflict even after the release of Laila-Majnu. There was no work for me for two years. There were some days when I used to think what to do next, how to do. But I didn't had any idea. I had a lot of questions as I was also trying to understand what I wanted from my career. That clarity was not there at that time. Also, the industry was new to me, I did not know people. But slowly I came out of that fear.

Q. Babil Khan has debuted with you in Qala. How was the experience of working with him?

A. We both have had a lot of fun together. We became very good friends from the day we first met. He is very sweet and has a lot of desire to learn. He wants to understand the process of acting. He wants to understand that when he is honest about the character when he is not. It is very special to see this in a newcomer. I know he will go a long way in this industry. He is very talented, very grounded, and very real.

Q. Would you like to tell something about the upcoming films?

A. There are three projects right now, two of which will come in 2023, but I can't give much details because they are yet to be announced. The shooting of one film is over and another is about to start.