Long waits between projects and a dearth of interesting characters are some of the occupational hazards associated with the small screen. Mreenal Deshraj, who is best remembered as Jahnvi Oberoi in Ishqbaaaz, agrees, “While I do think the phrase, ‘Today there is work, tomorrow there won’t’ is apt, it still is a blanket statement. Different mediums require different levels of commitment. In television, after your daily soap wraps up, you may not get work immediately. It is like you’ve spent a few years building your market and then you are nowhere to be seen for a while. So, you have to start from scratch when you bag the next project, maybe after some months or years. On the other hand, in films, you follow a definite schedule for every project after which, you move on to the next. The gap isn’t usually very long for most people. There are several nuances in the entertainment industry in terms of timely employment for actors. Instead of getting bogged down with this reality, I like to believe that we must keep sharpening our skills as actors and we will eventually get where we want to reach, as long as we stay committed to our craft.”
She adds, “With the advent of OTT, an actor has several opportunities to explore and there is a rise in the demand for good talent. The real problem is whether the roles offered fit the vision of the actor’s career arc.”
Working hard is a prerequisite for every work we take up, but it has often been observed that luck plays a crucial role in an actor’s life when it comes to attaining success. Mreenal says, “There are people in every industry who are luckier than talented. But there are also players who are both. I believe that as actors, we have to keep honing our skills and mastering our craft and eventually either our hard work will pave the way forward, or we will get lucky. But we can’t forget the fact that when luck smiles at us, we should have the tools to maintain that luck and sustain it.”
