'It has been a long and disappointing wait for me'

"When I did the studio rounds for auditions, I used to be selected but I had to face the ugly phenomenon of the casting couch that exists in the industry" says Neha Saxena.

Model and upcoming actress Neha Saxena debuted in Kannada cinema last week with Just Love to mixed reviews.  

The Punjabi girl from Dehradun has now made Bangalore her home.

Doors opened for Neha in Kannada cinema after she won accolades for her performance as an acid victim in the Tulu film Rickshaw Driver.

The film has completed a successful run of 125 days.

Neha juggles her acting career and a sales job in the corporate sector.

She graduated in hotel management, then trained at a star hotel and for a cabin crew job with an international airline.

Neha has completed two Kannada-Telugu bilingual films, Dandu and Q…Preetigu Saavigu…She plays the lead role in both.

She is on the verge of finishing work on another Kannada film, Viji.

She has worked as the lead in the Tamil film Uttama Thirudan, a comedy thriller that was shot in 48 hours with 15 cameras.

In this interview, Neha Saxena talks about her struggle to become an actress in the last three years, her debut movie in a leading role, and what it takes to juggle two careers at the same time.

What’s the response to your movie Just Love that released last Friday?

The response is awesome. I am quite excited about my debut film as the lead hitting the theatres.

It has been a long and sometimes a disappointing wait for me. It was like taking an exam and waiting for the result.

People have been gracious enough to praise and accept me.

It is said that you didn’t even know who was playing the male lead in the movie even after signing it.

I got a call from director Nagendra Urs one day at seven in the evening asking me to meet them at a hotel to finalise the casting for this film.

I was reluctant to go but he insisted so I took two of my colleagues along with me. There was this group of people sitting there. I introduced myself. He came up to me and said he was the director. He was funny and friendly, with those huge side-locks like how Jeetendra sported.

I started crying when I heard the story. In real life I have not experienced a father’s love. In the movie I don’t have a mother and so I was eager to play the role at least to feel how it is to get a father’s love.

I wanted to know who my co-star was. They said I would come to know of it on the day of the film’s launch, which was the very next day.

I couldn’t sleep well that night thinking about who would be the hero. When I reported for work in the morning I began searching for my hero. Finally, I met a tall guy who introduced himself as my co-starJayaram Karthik.

Did you get on well with Jayaram Karthik (popularly known as JK)?

I did not talk to him on the first day. On the second day, we had scenes together and that was when I came to interact with him.

JK was extremely professional. He was surprised when I delivered my lines in Kannada. I was also shocked that I could do it.

I wanted to prove that I can speak Kannada well.

It was easy to work with him. Since he also came from a corporate background we understood each other well.

How do you juggle a career in films and in the corporate sector?

It is actually quite tough to manage both. I work from home, online, attend phone calls and work with my tablet on the sets between shots.

I don’t make any sales calls. We have a team for that. I come into the picture when the client wants to talk to someone senior after a sales executive is finished with his presentation and a client has certain doubts about the offerings.

We start the day with phone calls and a target is fixed in the morning. It is followed up in the evening either through conference call or a video conference.

When I am in Bangalore after the shoots, I go to the office and work for an hour or two as the office is open till 10. We fix up branch meetings and discuss strategies.

It is about dedication to your work and professions.

How challenging was it to work in the Tulu film Rickshaw Driver?

I could not understand or speak Kannada in the first place. So Tulu was even more difficult.

Real recognition came to me with this role that I did in the Tulu film. The script touched my heart because I play a criminal lawyer, which was my father’s profession. I sported a burnt face.

Some actresses focus on glamour but my focus is on performance and to play challenging roles.

I like to do different characters. I had no make-up in the Tulu movie.

What are your expectations from a career as an actress?

I believe in my talent and I want to exhibit it in all forms.

I am not looking for glamorous roles. I like to do roles that give me scope to perform.

I want to spread my charisma through my talent and not through my body.

How did you establish a connection with Bangalore? How challenging was it for you to move into a big city after coming from a hill town?

My connection with Bangalore started with the corporate training that I underwent at a star hotel.

I moved to the airline and even that stint brought me to Bangalore. I decided to move to Bangalore to further my career.

I shivered when I left home as I had never left my mother who was solely responsible for my upbringing as a single parent. My father had died in an accident when my mother was pregnant with me.

My mother is a chartered accountant and very protective about me. She wanted me to establish myself in the corporate sector before I could realise my dream.

How difficult was it to make a career in films in Bangalore?

I had no godfather and nobody with whom I could share my thoughts.

When I did the studio rounds for auditions, I used to be selected but I had to face the ugly phenomenon of the casting couch that exists in the industry.

I had a tough time. I didn’t want to compromise because my mother had said I could pursue my dreams while continuing to work in the job.

I kept myself busy doing ramp shows as a showstopper for designers and worked in some ads.

Things opened up when I got the opportunity to work with Ramya and Prajwal Devaraj in Dil Ka Raja.