“It's An Exciting Time For Women In Bollywood.”

Tara Sutaria may be just one film old—in May, this year, she debuted with Student Of The Year 2—but she has the wisdom, self-assurance, and poise of a seasoned actor. It could be attributed to the fact that she has spent most of her life disciplining different forms of music, dance, and theatre. As we get to know the new belle in town, Tara talks passionately about her art, the archaic concept of pitting women against women, her definition of success, and more.

- Sreeparna Mazumder

Cosmopolitan: How is life post your debut film, Student Of The Year 2 (SOTY2)...

Tara Sutaria: “Well, I just finished shooting for my second film, Marjaavaan [co-starring Sidharth Malhotra], and I’m quite excited about it. Right now, I’m attending workshops for my third film, RX 100, which will go on floors in about a month’s time. So I’ve been quite busy, and I’m enjoying every moment.”

C: You started your career as a VJ for Disney Channel India. How has the journey been so far?

TS: “It’s been very interesting and unique. I started working when I was 13 years old, and, now, I’m 23! It’s been 10 years in the entertainment world, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for me. I’ve grown up performing and singing, but I stopped when I was a student. I’m really looking forward to continuing that very soon.”

C: Did you always want to be an actor?

TS: “To be honest, I always wanted to be a singer. But, when I was in college, I started considering acting because I was performing in musical theatre. That’s when I realised that I love to act. Karan [Johar] helped me take the next step in that direction.”

C: How did SOTY2 happen?

TS: “I met Karan at the Dharma [Productions] office, and we were just chatting when he asked me to sing for him. I did. That’s when he said that his team was in the process of writing SOTY2, and asked me if I’d be interested in doing it. A few months later, when the script was ready, I auditioned for it and got selected for the role of Mia Chawla.”

C: What was it like working for SOTY2?