Up, close & personal with Yeh Pal girl

Gurnaaz Kaur

It would be right to call her Madhur Bhandarkar’s protégé because it’s he who noticed her during a stage show and decided to cast her in Indu Sarkar. Jashn Agnihotri may have just been part of a song (Yeh Pal), but it opened many doors for her. A little over three years in the acting career, this Delhi girl has already made a place for herself in the city of dreams. She began with some popular music videos, has done cameos in movies like Why Cheat India and Genius, has two popular web series, Bhram and Fixerr, under her belt and has also played the lead in the Punjabi movie, Chan Tara. 

And this is just the beginning. “I have two Punjabi movies and two Hindi movies releasing in 2020. There is an Alt Balaji web series also that will release in January next year,” she says with excitement. From being noticed to securing work, Jashn says her journey has been a smooth one. Unlike other newcomers, she didn’t have to struggle much. That’s because her focus was on honing her craft and not grabbing roles. 

In these three years, she has done over 10 acting workshops and has been learning various dance forms, including belly, classical and Bollywood. “I keep polishing myself and I think anyone, who is serious about this job, will agree that acting is quite like walking the tightrope. You have to be visible and keep abreast with the latest. It’s like learning and displaying at the same time.” 

Although she agrees that Hollywood is the benchmark for everyone in the Indian industry, including herself, she does think Hindi cinema is much better than English. “There is no denying that Hollywood is technically much ahead but one connects more with Indian films. English films don’t show emotions that well. Hearing the rave reviews, I recently saw Joker, but it didn’t touch me.”

For some, it may come as a surprise that Jashn never thought of being an actress. She began her career as an air hostess and did modelling out of fun. In fact, in the initial days, her mother wasn’t in support of giving up a secure job for something this uncertain. “I have been a movie buff as a kid and did look at all the glamour with fascination but never saw myself as part of this world. But now that I am here, I am so much in love with it and can’t think of anything else.” 

So, what are the perks of being an actress? “There is this whole glamour of showbiz, then there is adulation, money, fame that comes with it but I have fallen in love with the craft, so I don’t get swayed by all this.” There are some cons too. Jashn says it get lonely as you climb the ladder. “You can’t be who you are. I miss being at random places, meeting people randomly, having a conversation with them.”

From hosting a show to doing print and TV commercials, Jashn likes to stay in touch with all that’s in the periphery; it’s all about keeping busy and being experimental.

gurnaaz@tribunemail.com