Scoop actor Karishma Tanna: I deserve more, I feel a little incomplete in this industry

Basking in the success of her latest web show, Scoop, actor Karishma Tanna can’t thank audiences enough for showering her with so much love. In the Hansal Mehta directed series, Karishma essays the role of investigative crime reporter Jagruti Pathak (inspired on journalist Jigna Vohra), who was framed in the murder of a senior fellow crime journalist. Having been a part of OTT projects such as Guilty Minds and Hush Hush besides several TV shows and a few films, the actor says it’s only now that showrunners are realising her true potential and giving her substantial parts. She is glad that the web space has allowed people to look past her ‘glam’ image and see her doing content-driven roles. However, she doesn’t discount the fact that it has been a struggle to reach this stage and how OTT continues to act as a blessing for actors like her, who are in search of good opportunities. Excerpts from an interview:

You must have read several comments from audiences who, after watching Scoop, felt that you are a highly underrated as an actor. How do react to such feedback and comments?

Yes, I do feel underrated as nobody till now has tapped my full potential. Just because I’ve done glamorous roles in the past, and played characters on TV shows where I had to overact, everybody assumed that I can only capable of that. It disappoints me sometimes. But, the reason behind that notion is there are very few directors who have the vision to not typecast you. Not everyone can mould you into character roles and bring out the best in you. I just hope that now (after Scoop), audiences take me more seriously as an actor, and I get more opportunities to prove that I’m capable of doing even better. I feel a little incomplete in this industry and I deserve more.

Do you somewhere credit the web space for giving you the platform and scope to prove your talent?

When there was no OTT, I struggled a lot, but now I’m optimistic that better days are here. Because of OTT, people are seeing past the image that the industry had created of me. It has been a game-changer for actors from the TV industry, such as myself, who want to grow in their career. It’s all because of my stint on OTT that viewers are finally appreciating my acting skills, which has never happened before.

So are you saying it was a challenge initially to shed the tag of a TV actor to find work on streaming?

These tags given to actors really bother me, especially in case of TV celebs as the (film) industry has preconceived notions about them. These lines need to be blurred. And yes, getting rid of the tag, break the stereotypes of being a TV actor and get into OTT was all a big struggle/ I had to take a break from television, give myself some time, learn more about my craft, and then start afresh on OTT.

As an artiste, what would you say OTT has given to you which neither television nor film could?

One of the primary reasons I love working on OTT is the validation an artiste gets here. It boosts your confidence. Unlike TV — where no matter how much effort you put in — the appreciation isn’t there. Secondly, in OTT projects, the script is written in detail, that gives you time and space to focus on the nuances of your character and perform better. For example, Jagruti Pathak (my character in Scoop) gets into judicial custody for 15 days, which gets stretched to 30 days and then three months and six months. You live with the character and there is enough time to build it, which isn’t the case in TV or films. That’s why, when I’m in front of the camera while shooting for an OTT show, there much more happiness to perform, which I don’t feel on any other platform.

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Playing a character inspired from a real person could be quite challenging, considering the detailing required. How difficult was it for you to step into the shoes of Jigna Vohra?

The series is inspired by Jigna Vohra’s memoir Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison. For my character, the brief I got was, ‘You’re not copying or shadowing anybody. You have to make your own character’. So I relied on the script and it became easy to stick to the demands of my director and what was written.

Also, I didn’t want to take this opportunity of showcasing my talent lightly. So, I worked really hard to make the character relatable for the audiences. I did my research to know who Jigna was, what happened with her… I also went to police stations and shadowed a crime reporter to study the nuances of my character.