Sumbul Touqueer is currently seen in a television show titled Kavya: Ek Jazba Ek Junoon, where she plays the titular role. In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, actress talks about her hardships she faced since childhood, how her father played an integral part in her upbringing, her new show and more. Excerpts:
How has your journey been so far?
I am going to complete 10 years now in the industry and I am very satisfied with my journey because it has been quite slow and steady in these years. I am very happy about this, and I feel very grateful. Despite all the work I’ve accomplished so far, I have never tried to evaluate it.
How did you fulfil your dreams?
I think I took a risk to become an actor because there is lots of uncertainty in an actor’s life. You never know when you have work and when you don’t. Today, I have work, but, I might not have it tomorrow. But am I ready to take that risk simply, because I know that when my previous show ended, I had no idea what I would do next or when I would get work again. The struggle continued, then I got work, and the struggle paused. When the work ended, the struggle began again. So, the struggle is constant but I will never give up.
What is the reason behind you being so independent and strong at a very young age?
My father has been a single parent throughout his life. He has raised two daughters, which is a very challenging task for a father to do. I have learned this from my father. He is a very open minded individual. He has faced many challenges while raising both of us and bringing us into the industry. I decided that I will never let my father face any more problems.
Go on…
I will at least try to repay him for everything he has done for us. I have learned the importance of relationships from my father, how he has raised me and my younger sister. I have seen him working hard, managing the household, and handling his work at the same time. We were growing up, my sister was just 3 years old and I was 6.
A still from Kavya: Ek Jazba Ek Junoon |
What intrigued you to do your recent show Kavya?
When I learned about the story, I found it to be very relatable. It is set in such a real space. We see it happening around us every day. And when we talk about it, I often hear people say, he is a very successful man because there is a woman behind him. Nevertheless, we have rarely heard anyone say that she is successful because there is a man behind her. However, I believe that my success also has a man behind it. My father in real life has always stood by me, supporting me, and that’s how I’ve reached where I am today. The show emphasises a lot on equality of gender.
What is that one thing that you can relate to Kavya…?
I am very ambitious, and this is one thing I can relate to a lot with Kavya. Because she also has no two ways in her life, she has one dream, and she knows that she has to fulfil it no matter what happens, whatever, problems she may face in her life. The same is relatable to me in real life. I know I have only one dream. It's an obsession of fulfilling my dreams of turning into a good actor.
