Karishma Tanna on winning award for ‘Scoop’: ‘Now, I am known as a pretty girl with acting talent’

New Delhi: Actress Karishma Tanna, who has bagged the ‘Best Lead Actress’ award for her work in Netflix’s series ‘Scoop’ at the Busan Film Festival 2023, shared how winning a film festival is a big deal, but she will not keep changing her parameters of choosing roles as per the projects.

Karishma also picked the trophy for ‘Best Series’ for ‘Scoop’ at the Busan Film Festival, which is one of Asia’s most celebrated cinematic events.

Speaking to IANS, Karishma talked about her win, the celebrations, journey of her character Jagruti Pathak and more.

Karishma said she was literally excited, dumbfound, nervous and everything at the award ceremony.

“It started with the series category, and straight away I am hearing ‘Scoop’, so it was a very good start for me. Nervous, because I was the first one to go on the stage among the artists. I was representing Netflix, the entire show, Hansal Mehta sir. Speak to different countries, artists, people from all walks of life were sitting there. It was very surreal,” she said.

Karishma said: “Winning a film festival is a big deal, so I am glad that I got to experience this for ‘Scoop’.”

‘Scoop’ has catapulted Karishma to international acclaim.

If her perception towards choosing projects will change in future, the ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ fame actress replied: “Before ‘Scoop’ also I always wanted to do meaningful and complex characters and meaningful cinema. And I don’t think that has changed because I am an actor. So, I will not keep changing as per projects.”

” ‘Scoop’ has come to me, I mean it’s a brilliant show to be a part of, it’s definitely a feather in the cap, but I have always been looking for, and have always drawn to, something which is challenging. I won’t be able to do something that doesn’t excite me. I will not take up only. That is why you hardly see me doing back to back OTT or TV shows. I need something that stimulates my mind, which challenges me on the set. And I would continue to do that,” said Karishma.

The 39-year-old actress said: “My perception was like a pretty girl who is in this industry. But now I am known as a pretty girl with acting talent. So, that kind of perception has changed for good actually.

“People see me in a different light now. I assume people will consider me if they have five names of artists, they would consider me also. So the perception must have changed. I am happy that I have got to prove my talent,” she shared.

‘Scoop’ is based on Jigna Vora’s biographical memoir ‘Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison’.

It follows the real-life story of Jigna Vora who was accused of the murder of mid-day reporter Jyotirmoy Dey in June 2011.

Further talking about turning into Jigna Vora, Karishma said: “I had no brief to turn into Jigna, because Hansal sir didn’t want me to become Jigna Vora. He didn’t want me to transform into any real character.”

“I was playing a real life character for sure, but he wanted me to colour my own board. He kept it like an open book. He told me to colour it the way I wanted to. He asked me to make my own graph. So that was the beauty about my director that he just let me be, and he just said that he doesn’t want me to meet the person, and follow anybody,” she said.

“Hansal sir told me the basic things — like she is a crime reporter, has a son, she was fierce, ambitious. The script was so nicely and beautifully written, then the audience understood the graph of the character, and fortunately it matched with her real traits also,” said the ‘Sanju’ actress.

Karishma said that being passionate and ambitious is not a crime.

“Part of ‘Scoop’ has been with me, it’s very close to my heart. The journey which I have lived in the show has taught me and given me a lot of guidance, that life is uncertain, anything can happen at any time, be humble to people. Be hungry for work but at the same time see the circumstances around you. I have lived the character, and it has helped me in real life also,” she said.

It also stars Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and Harman Baweja in lead roles, along with Prosenjit Chatterjee, Tannishtha Chatterjee and Deven Bhojani in pivotal roles.

The show is streaming on Netflix.

–IANS