Getting a foothold in the Mumbai film industry has never been easy especially for those who want to showcase their skill in front of the camera. But Odisha-born Sonali Sharmistha Mohanty has managed to do it by dint of sheer hard work. In the space of two and a half years, the 25-year-old actress has appeared in television serials such as CID, Yeh Hai Mohabatein and Kasam Se and will be seen with top stars like Ranbir Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt in the movie Shamshera. She will also be seen with Kareena Kapoor in a commercial. In a candid chat with Orissa POST, Sonali talked about her days of struggle and her hopes for the future.
Hailing from Jajpur, Sonali moved to Mumbai quitting her job in a BPO. Her aim was to make a career in acting and create her own space in showbiz. With hardly any connections in Mumbai, she joined theatre to polish her acting skills. Recounting her initial days in Mumbai, Sonali says, “You may have heard about the renowned artist and writer Prafulla Mohanty who is currently living in London. He is my grandfather. He used to come to our village Nanpur during vacations and organise theatre shows. I participated in those productions with a lot of interest till Class IX. That triggered my interest in acting. When I joined NCC, I got opportunities to show my acting skill before a larger audience. I participated in dance and skit competitions and got the best cadet award also. In college, I once attended an acting workshop organised by Sanjay Patnaik who runs the Platform Institute, an acting school. But I couldn’t devote time to acting due to the pressure of studies. Meanwhile, I took an engineering degree and joined a BPO. But the job offered me no satisfaction, the acting bug was still there in me. Soon, I quit my job and left for Mumbai to follow my passion.”
She continues: “I was from a non-filmiy background and did not have any godfather who could recommend my name to others. So, I joined two theatre groups. While showcasing my acting skill through theatre, I managed to get a few contacts in film industry. My parents backed me financially for a year but after that I stopped taking money from them as I started getting offers for small roles in mega soaps.”
However, the journey was not easy. Speaking about the hardships she underwent, Sonali says she was once cheated by a production house as it didn’t clear her dues for two months’ work. At that time she was left with only Rs 400 when she had to pay Rs 5,000 to her landlord. Besides, she had other expenses too. Fortunately, she got an advertisement offer from Parachute Oil. She did the print ad and got paid. Though she went through difficult days financially, Sonali never let her parents know about her problems.
“Initially, I was rejected several times. But I was confident of myself and knew that it was just a matter of time before I would be noticed. Apart from joining theatre, I also worked as an assistant director and got the chance to direct short films like Dhul and Uddan,” she says.
Sonali, who recently completed a commercial shoot with Kareena Kapoor Khan for Rasna, also tried to get roles in Odia films. But she was rejected because of her dark complexion. “Before foraying into Hindi, I tried to get a foothold in the Odia television and film industry. But due to my dark complexion, directors and producers advised me ‘this field is not fit for you.’ Then, one of my relatives Asit Mallick, who had earlier seen my performance, asked me to try my luck in the Hindi film and television industry. He said, ‘You are a talented artiste and your talent will be recognised there.’ Without a second thought, I left for Mumbai.”
Sonali has acted in a few government advertisements and commercials of companies like Kotak Mahindra Bank and mobile apps. Though she has appeared in Hindi tele serials, acting in films remains her focus. “I could have easily got roles in more daily soaps as the lead actor, but my main aim was to reach movie viewers. That’s why I joined theatre and I am still doing theatre to improve myself. In Shamshera, Ranbir plays a dacoit and I am one of his gang members.”
Sonali attributes her success to her father Nanda Kishore Patnaik, a businessman, and mother Salila Patnaik, a homemaker. “Whenever I feel low, I think about my father who started his career from ‘zero’ and is now a successful businessman with rice and flattened rice mills. I believe that ups and downs are a part of life. One has to be patient and work hard to reach the destination. What bothers me are the questions raised by relatives and friends. They ask petty questions like ‘What are you doing there? We don’t see you anywhere?’ Such questions really hurt me,” she says.
RASHMI REKHA DAS, OP