'I was never into acting': Shanvi Srivastava

Actor Shanvi Srivastava recently attended ‘#NoMoreDishStress’, a campaign organised by Bosch in association with Finish, to unveil their range of dishwashing products. The actor is known for her work in films ‘Masterpiece’, ‘Tarak’ and ‘Chandralekha’.

Shanvi has many movies in her kitty, currently and is awaiting their release.

Rakshitha M N caught up with the actor, and she spoke about her journey in the industry so far and more.

What made you take up acting as a career?

I was never into acting; the profession chose me. I was never fascinated by acting, though my sister was in the same field. I always wanted to get into banking and was even preparing for the exams. But, that all changed when I was presented a movie script by my sister’s manager. There has been no looking back since. I think there were not many hurdles on my way, but to fish out good films.

What is your stand on acting schools? Do you think they help in any way?

I haven’t gone to any acting schools, and I think I am doing fine, although coming from an acting school gives you the edge. It took a while for me to understand acting and how the cameras work. Though acting schools aren’t a necessity, it is definitely an added advantage.

‘Chandralekha’ was your first Kannada film. How was it to act in a different language? Tell us about the challenges you faced.

The film is a remake of the Telugu film ‘Prema Katha Chitram’. I was asked for the film as I and the Telugu lead actress had similar looks. Also, I liked the original film, hence I instantly agreed. That was the first ever time I explored and actually learnt what acting was.

I did face a lot of challenges. First is the language barrier; I felt like being on an alien land. I also had a pretty tight schedule as I had to shoot for 20 hours per day for 30 days.

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

At present, I am working on three Kannada films ‘Avane Srimannarayana’, ‘Geetha’ and ‘Ravichandra’, which all are up for release this year.

Any advice for upcoming actors?

I think hard work and consistency are the keys to success. Some things, though delayed will eventually find you.

So, stay patient and wait for your turn. Set a goal and work towards it. Also, always have a plan B.