'Matka King' star Kritika Kamra talks about her career choices
What's the story
Kritika Kamra, who has successfully transitioned from television to the OTT space, recently opened up about her journey and upcoming show Matka King. In an interview with Hindustan Times, she spoke about her character in the show and working with director Nagraj Manjule. The show will premiere on Amazon Prime Video on Friday.
Role preparation
'I'm constantly looking for female characters...'
In Matka King, Kamra plays Gulrukh Dibash, a young Parsi widow who partners with Vijay Varma's character. The show is inspired by the real-life matka barons of Mumbai. Kamra said, "I'm constantly looking for female characters that drive the narrative forward." "And they're hard to come by. Even now, even after so much has happened and we're all happy with how things are going on OTT, I still feel there aren't many (female) characters who truly move the story forward."
Career strategy
'I'm constantly placing bets...'
Kamra also spoke about her approach to choosing roles, saying, "Sometimes, it's about playing the riskier bets. I am just not waiting for any one thing to break out and change my life." "I have never waited for that. I am constantly placing bets, and I know I will also lose...So I'm just playing the long game." "All rejection feels very personal. But I've been in it long enough to know that there's always something else waiting."
Role selection
Kamra waited for Manjule to finalize her
Kamra is ready to wait for the right roles, even if it means missing out on commercial cinema. She said, "There are filmmakers, and I wait for them, like Nagraj Manjule." The actor revealed that she auditioned twice for Matka King as Manjule wasn't convinced after the first audition. "Even I wouldn't be, if you told me to play a Parsi character...I'm sure everybody would want to then cast someone closer to it. So I worked on it."