Actress Smriti Kalra kicked off her acting journey from Delhi as the lead actress in the TV show 12/24 Karol Bagh. She went on to be a part of successful daily shows like Suvreen Guggal – Topper of The Year, Dil Sambhal Jaa Zara, Itti Si Khushi and many more. But if you ask her, becoming an actress was never her plan. Smriti, an army kid, has been a book warm since her childhood and an avid traveller. All she knew was that she wanted to pursue journalism. In a conversation with News18, Smriti Kalra, who secured a place in people’s hearts with her character Simmi in 12/24 Karol Bagh, revealed that she would have never gotten into acting if the show’s shoot wasn’t being done in Delhi.
“The 12/24 set was in Delhi and that’s the only reason I’ve become an actress. Had that set not been in Delhi, I would have never ever got into acting. There was no way. I remember in my house, there wasn’t even a cable connection till College, not even DD. I didn’t have any Filmfare of Femina or any kind of connection to showbiz. I came from that mindset, so that’s a big achievement,” shared Smriti.
The actress also revealed that she was offered the script of Suvreen Guggal- Topper of The Year while filming for her debut show. Smriti further shared that she was approached for a bunch of movies during the shoot of Suvreen Guggal but she wasn’t so serious about them.
She said, “I didn’t realise that I was being lucky, because people get these chances after so much effort. Unfortunately, I wasn’t even aware of the fact. I remember, whenever the shoot got over I run and go away – without even combing my hair. I went on to look for films then and I’m always open to challenges. I took up my first film Cash – which was a situational comedy, and then after doing many projects, now I’m into films.”
Talking about the challenges she faced at the beginning of her journey in the city of dreams, the actress shared, “Scouting for houses is not easy and I didn’t tell anyone that I’m here, whoever little people that I knew. I found a place where I knew the gym was closer to. For six months, I worked out at the gym and came home and slept – that’s all I did. Later on, I started getting roles.”
The actress also went on to be a part of Rohit Shetty’s Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi’s Season 10 for two episodes. Smriti shared that becoming a part of the show lovely experience. She said, “Coming from an army background, the lifestyle and backdrop that I’ve seen, I’ve gotten attracted to adventure sports. I did the show for my best friend Shivin Narang, and it was a lot of fun. Rohit Shetty was very kind. He was very fond of me, and he told me that I’ll be coming to the show next season. He really peps you up. I had a good rapport with him. On set, he is very funny, and the kind of energy you want in an adventure show.”
Speaking of her upcoming project Kaagaz 2, Smriti shared that it’s a pleasure to work with Anupam Kher, Darshan Kumar, and Neena Gupta in the film. Spilling the beans about her role, she shared, “I’m playing the role of a modern girl. She vocalises her thoughts in the right way. A part of me definitely relates to the role I play in Kaagaz 2. We are dubbing for the film currently.”
“I feel lucky to be a part of Kaagaz 2 and when I loved the film’s writing. When I auditioned for it, I told Satish Kaushik Sir, ‘You may find someone who will be fitter than me for this role. But in my mind and heart, I’m doing this role and he laughed out loud’.”
