Sakshi Benipuri: What’s mine will come to me

Lucknow girl and actor Sakshi Benipuri’s bold avatar in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s The Great Indian Murder (2022) fetched her lots of similar offers, but the actor chose otherwise.

“I could have worked a lot and earned a lot of money in the previous year had I ridden that wave. Once people see you in a certain way, you are typecast. It has happened to everyone in the film industry. Over the years, I have learnt it the hard way to be patient. Good things come to those who wait! So, I don’t regret saying no to those roles,” says the actor on her visit to her hometown.

Having done small roles in films like Heroine (2012), Section 375 (2019) and AK vs AK (2020), she does not mind going slow. “It’s true that I got noticed but I have given screen tests for bigger and meatier roles. However, not many projects materialise as the role eventually goes to a person who is much better known and has more credit to his or her name. It’s not a complaint but what’s mine will come to me.”

Despite the ups and downs, it has been a productive phase for her. “I have shot an independent film where I am completely in a non-glamorous avatar. I am proud of the story we are telling. I am humbled by the director’s belief that he saw me in a different light when others just saw me as a bold and glamorous actor.” The Chaappaak (2020) actor will be shooting for TGIM’s second season but before that she is set to shoot a film next month.

Benipuri admits that it’s very tough to say no when your bread and butter depends on it. “Hence, I have worked and developed other sources of income over the years so that my acting choices don’t bear the burden of the bills. I have a very clear vision of the path I want to take. Nothing can lead me astray.”

Lucknow love

“My love affair with Lucknow has deepened since I spent a lot of time here during the pandemic. Every chance I get, I shoot new pictures in different corners of the city. I want to promote its culture, heritage, language and food. I want to freeze moments in time so that I can look back and remember where I came from every time I am feeling lost. Also, Lucknow has become a shooting hub these days. I am manifesting seeing myself in a project soon in which I get to play a Lucknow girl. It’s my dream!”