Here is the tale of the Shruti Bapna, who not only believed that accomplishments and achievements can only be achieved through a firm devotion and commitment to her work but also paved her way out towards success. She did not give in to the adversities that came in her way but kept her head high and went ahead with determination, courage, utmost sincerity, and dedication to her craft.
This woman is none other than Shruti Bapna who with her efficacious performances and multifaceted roles shaped her story and rose as the shining star who shines from within with her sparkling smile, for the mystery behind her radiance is she Herself, her tremendous faith in her inner-self and her gratitude to the universe. She is not only an ardent believer but also someone who finds respite from the mundane by disappearing into nature or in the world of knowledge.
She is also an occasional escapist who loves to daydream and more significantly knows the way to make those dreams happen. From her extraordinary journey, we understand that yes dreams do come true if you are brave enough to work for your purpose, for a life without a dream is not worth living.
Her decisions reveal that she is both a war and a woman dressed in skin. Even in the epitome of prosperity with roles like Bharti in Mardaani 2, Rani in Daddy, Vandita in Yeh Hai Mohabbatein, and Diana in MTV Girls On Top she never stopped her quest to aim for more excellent performances.
The Voice of Woman recently got in touch with Shruti Bapna who unveiled her journey and why owning the right voice is unquestionably important.
She is of the opinion that, it is our core belief that molds us into the person who we want to become. Here we present the story of Shruti who remained unapologetic for her choices and moved ahead with elegance in her heart and tenderness in her voice.
Interview with Shruti Bapna
Here are the answers given by Shruti Bapna in her interview with VOW
Tell us something about your childhood. When did you decide that you want to be an actor?
My love for the performing arts was visible right from my childhood and school days. I was always very actively participating in dramatics, dancing and loved being on stage.
I grew up in Africa. After my tenth standard, we moved to Mumbai. I actually wanted to get into the armed forces and become a pilot in the Airforce. But since it was a new city and the new term had already begun and with not much time to think, I took up commerce.
My love for creative expression kept growing and I decided to explore it by doing theatre. And so along with college, I started doing theatre and worked with some renowned directors like Sunil Shanbag, DubeyJi, Shiv Subrahmanyam.
At the same time, I was also doing voice-overs and dubbing for channels, ads, and animation. It was the perfect learning ground. That is how it all began. After 2-3 years of theatre, I ventured into television and films. And from there on my journey on to the screen started.
Shruti BapnaDo you remember your initial days of struggle? What did those days teach you that is still relevant in your life?
Well having a bit of theatre exposure and background puts you in the right space and strengthens your outlook. As an actor, I believe that there is no substitute for hard work and this is something I have always believed in life and will continue to do so.
So if you are sincere and dedicated to your work then people would want to work with you again and they would want to repeat you. According to me, that itself is a success in its own way.
I have experienced this a lot, where people come back to me wanting to work again and that is an achievement. For me, this is the only way I am aware of.
I know my work can get me more work. So this is something that exists even today and I strongly believe and stand by my achievements through hard work.
Out of the numerous performances that you have given, which according to you is your best performance till now? Which role was the most challenging as of now?
My best or I would say the performance which I enjoyed doing the most was the role of Diana in MTV Girls On Top. I think it was such a fun character.
I got so much space and opportunity to play with that role. Also, it was not a very cliched role rather it was a very unique, sassy, very spunky, and edgy character which I regard as my most fun character.
The most challenging role for me has been from The Verdict – State vs Nanavati where I played Makrand Deshpande sir’s wife because it was a character of a Maharashtrian wife with two kids and also pregnant with a third and the show was set in the 1960s.
So I needed to speak some Marathi and above all share screen space with Mak sir. There were a lot of factors that made it so challenging. Nonetheless, I would say it remains one of the most memorable and special experiences of my career because working with Mak sir was extremely enriching and therapeutic.
It was like a dream come true. So I was very lucky to have played that role. The reason I think it was so exciting is because of the challenges this role offered to me.
Shruti BapnaHow has your experience in this industry been so far? Do you think the journey of a woman in the entertainment industry is different from that of a man?
My experience in this industry has been quite gratifying, filled with ups and downs of course just like most other people because that is the nature of life and you cannot escape it.
But I think I have been fortunate enough to be a part of some really wonderful projects and one work of mine has led me to another.
That is how it has always been for me and I am really glad for that because I do not have any connections or a godfather nor do I come from a film family.
Also, I have been very poor in doing PR activities, social networking, etc that are required to get your game strong. I just find it too tedious for me.
However, I have still been able to get into a variety of different roles and be appreciated for them. So I am happy I have been able to create a space for myself.
The journey is not an easy one neither for a man nor for a woman as both of them face challenges in the industry in their own ways.
Yes, of course, being a woman you have to be much more careful because there are just too many factors that decide your image or the kind of person you are. You can easily get tagged a certain way.
So one has to be careful about all that. Moreover, the world has become so open and everybody has got access to your photos or to you in various ways.
So it is very important for women to sort of be careful in their choices. Thus it is surely a lot harder for women I would say.
How does Shruti Bapna manage a healthy lifestyle despite having an occupied schedule?
Yes, we do have hectic schedules. It is important as an actor that you stay fit at all times because you can be required to do a number of things at any point of time when you are performing.
Apart from being physically fit, I also believe a lot in mental fitness because ultimately that is what reflects in your personality.
So on a regular basis, I challenge myself physically through Yoga, pilates, dancing, functional training, and swimming. Mentally I try to engage in things like spending time in nature, traveling, learning something new, taking retreats, or even just sitting and daydreaming! I try to do all of that from time to time.
How is Shruti Bapna keeping herself fit amidst the lockdown?
Keeping myself fit amidst the lockdown is not difficult because it is pretty much my routine even otherwise. I workout at home. I have my mat and that is all that I really need for working out. There are just so many different possible ways of working out at home that you don’t really need to hit the gym. But people do not understand that as much.
Shruti BapnaWhat does your quarantine routine look like? What are you doing now that you often do not get time to do?
I am right now trying to deepen my practice of Yoga because when you are in your daily routine and working, you do not get as much time to do that.
I am also trying to learn and read a little bit about different things that interest me, reconnect with old friends with whom I have not been in touch with for years, expressing my creativity through my video posts, introspect, stargaze, sleep well, relax and of course catch up on films and the content online.
Shruti Bapna is also known for her love for dancing. What is so special about dance for you?
Yes, I love dancing and to explore different styles and forms of dances from across the world. I believe it is just so therapeutic.
When you are feeling low you can dance, and when you are feeling happy you can dance. So it works both ways. It is also a good way to burn those extra calories.
I just feel that movement can create a lot of positivity in your body. So dance for me is the perfect way to shift my energies and feel great.
Since you were a part of Mardaani 2 which deals with crime inflicted upon women, and the recent boys’ locker room incident is very shocking as kids from reputed schools are displaying toxic mentality in their way of objectifying women. It is clear that education is not helping them much. We at The Voice of Woman strongly condemn such issues. So what would be your views on that?
I think we must have counseling sessions in schools for students of a certain age from time to time and also introduce spiritual education where you are taught to understand the basis of life and how the universe functions because those will then develop into your core beliefs.
If that is introduced right from childhood then that is how they are going to grow up to be.
The boys’ locker room incident is so shameful, disgusting and despicable because it is coming from students who are getting educated in schools one would consider to be the best.
It clearly states that we do not have a system that educates our children and their core beliefs of how an individual should function. In today’s time, it is even more needed as we have exposure to such resources where one can get access to any sort of content online.
If we are not leading the way and guiding our children on what is right and what is wrong, what are the basic etiquettes, how one should be thinking growing up then obviously we have something majorly wrong in our system.
Shruti BapnaShruti is an artist who expresses herself through her work and her dance and we hope she continues to motivate us with her splendid works. She will be starring in Breathe 2 in Amazon Prime next alongside Abhishek Bachhan.
Why do you think it is important for a woman to have a voice of her own?
Having a voice is important but having the right kind of a voice I feel is even more important. So getting influenced negatively by what others have to say is not the right way.
I honestly think that believing and understanding the core of the issue that you are standing for is something far more important because if you are correctly engaging with people through your voice then that is when you are going to be heard the most.
Yes, we do have the opportunity to speak up and I think we should use it rightly.
Also Read; Pranutan Bahl Talks About The Responsibility
