NATIONAL crush 2.0

Coming to Animal, tell us your first reaction you had when the film came to you.

I was shooting for a hair oil advertisement and the assistant told me that there’s this director who wants to cast you opposite Ranbir Kapoor. When good things start to happen in your life, you become unsure and you don’t want to believe them too soon. A lot of that was running through my head and I told myself not to get too excited. I kept on saying that things can still change, so be calm. But when I got a final yes, everybody around me was so happy. It was a dream come true for me because I’ve always wanted to share screen space with Ranbir. Also with Vicky Kaushal and Rajkummar Rao, for that matter.

What would you tell Triptii from Laila Majnu today?

If I get to speak to the Triptii that I was when I did Laila Majnu, I would just tell her to take each day as it comes. Don’t stress too much about what’s happening, because I remember at the time I used to be stressed a lot because I had limited knowledge of acting. I was in a new world where a lot of things were alien to me. I used to keep trying to figure things out. Many times, after doing a scene, there used to be a lot of dissatisfaction about whether I’d done well or not. It’s a process of growing and learning, so take it as it is. That’s the one lesson I have learnt.

So you’re saying you would question yourself a lot?

One is always unsure and not confident starting out. So I think I was like that. When I was shooting for Laila Majnu, it helped me grow as an actor because I think if that curiosity and hunger weren’t there, then I wouldn’t have shown any interest in acting at all.