You must have seen her in films and series like Mismatched Season 3, Kho Gaye Hum Kahan, Silence... Can You Hear It? and more. She’s a versatile actor and an amazing singer — yes, the voice behind Naina Barse Kyun and Aao Naa. After performing in the play External Affairs at Rangbhoomi Spaces & Events, Garima Yajnik spoke to CE about Hyderabad, challenges in her journey and more.
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How does it feel to be performing in Hyderabad?
It feels amazing to be back because the last time we were in Hyderabad, we were shooting Mismatched, and for that whole month it felt like home since we were staying in Gachibowli. So, it sort of feels like a homecoming. I have never done theatre here before, so it is really cool to explore the audience and see how they enjoy the show. My favourite food here is definitely the biryani and haleem.
You switch characters frequently in the play External Affairs. How do you manage this quick transition and how do you prepare for them?
What really helped when the show was being made and conceptualised was that we were luckily able to give a lot of input. Adhaar Khurana (director) allows us a lot of freedom, which makes it easier to switch and create characters, bringing our own ideas and selves into it. The writing is already great, so we don’t need to add much to it, but he still lets us. That helps because we add little observations, different character traits and, having done quite a few shows now, the transition becomes quite easy. (laughs)
You are a singer as well. So, how do you balance these two aspects of your career and what inspired you to pursue a career in acting and singing?
I’ve kind of always been doing both at the same time, right from school. I remember my first school play in second grade and thinking, this feels right, like home, and it’s a passion I want to pursue forever. Balancing both does get tough because you can’t clone yourself and do everything at once. But theatre makes it easier since we can blend the two. A lot of our plays include music and even singing, so it brings both worlds together, which is ideal. Other than that, I’ve always really wanted to do this, so getting the chance to be a professional makes me genuinely happy. It’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing.
What are some of the challenges you faced and how did you overcome them?
I think one of the main things you have to be okay with as an actor is rejection because it’s such a big part of the journey. You also have to be fine with making a fool of yourself sometimes. That kind of ease comes from doing a lot of theatre, messing up, making mistakes and learning from them. I think once you let go of the need to be perfect, you can really fly. That’s something I learnt early on through acting workshops and stage, and overcoming rejection and not care, just think of every audition as a captive audience and enjoy it.
If you had to collaborate with an artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
I’d say Audrey Hepburn is someone I’d have loved to collaborate with on a film, and Whitney Houston for a song, that would be amazing!
What’s a fun fact that people don’t know about you?
I sing all the time and make songs about stupid things as I do them, so everything becomes musical. (laughs)
Future projects.
I have a new play coming up with Akvarious Productions. It’s a Shakespearean play, opening in a month.