Missed out on a lot of work, trying to make better choices: Chitrangda Singh

Mumbai, Dec 31 (PTI) You live and learn, says actor Chitrangda Singh while looking back at missed opportunities early in her career that led to some introspection and the determination to make better choices.

Singh made her directorial debut in 2005 with Sudhir Mishra’s political drama “Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi” and grabbed attention with her commanding presence in the movie, also starring Shiney Ahuja and Kay Kay Menon.

Singh said she was offered a slew of interesting films like “Gangster”, “Tanu Weds Manu”, and “Mangal Pandey” but she didn’t take them up for various reasons.

“I’ve missed out on a lot of work and that has been very painful. This happens with every actor. It is also my fault that I refused some projects, which I shouldn’t have. In the beginning, you end up listening to other people. Sometimes you are not sure, you don’t have the vision to understand how it will translate on screen. It was just one of those things that you live and learn,” Singh told PTI in an interview.

The actor, who currently stars in the Honey Trehan-directed movie “Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders”, said she had to take long breaks, especially in the couple of years because of her personal life.

“But if I reach there again, I think I’ll still end up doing this (break) because there were certain situations in my life at that point, (like) my family. I just wouldn’t have been able to leave all that. I’m very happy where I am. I think it’s so much better because I’m emotionally more complete. I feel like I have got myself, that’s better. It’s far more important to take care of that,” the actor added.

The “Khel Khel Mein” actor said she embraced the lull phase in her career as an opportunity to grow.

“…Whatever you go through in life, it adds to your emotional experience, you become emotionally a little more intelligent. It makes you well-rounded so you end up making better choices. It definitely makes a huge difference. Instead of everything being good all the time and not taking any breaks, and living life, I don’t know how well that works.

“But I feel that whatever happened to me, whatever I lived through, whatever breaks I took, all that pain and ups and downs, the rollercoaster has really added to (who I am).” Singh expressed gratitude to directors like Mishra and Trehan for significantly influencing her craft.

She collaborated with Mishra on three films “Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi”, “Yeh Saali Zindagi”, and “Inkaar”, and with Trehan on their recently released film, “Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders”.

“He (Mishra) taught me how to work with silences. It’s important for a director to make an actor aware of their strengths. Sometimes you don’t know what you have. you try to cover up by doing too much. He always said that less is more,” she said.

“What I learnt from Honey is that sometimes for technical reasons you have to go beyond things and redo it (scenes). So, to get bored with a certain emotion and still make it work, that’s what he taught me. I learnt a lot in ‘Gaslight’, which I did with director Pavan Kirpalani,” the actor said.

Up next for Singh is “Battle of Galwan” with Salman Khan. She is also looking forward to producing a biopic.

“I’m really looking forward to ‘Battle of Galwan’, it’ll be very special. There is something that I’m going to produce and it’s finally coming together. I’m hoping we start next year. Then there is a conversation for another film, a smaller film but it’s an important film. And there might be some international collaboration,” the actor said. PTI KKP BK BK