She is gorgeous and she is known to turn heads wherever she goes, be it television or films, her latest venture online will be something that no one in India has ventured into, chat show on ‘sex’, so clearly Mandana Karimi is out here to ensure the eyeballs are on her, and are there to stay on her.
For someone who has been in news for shocking, what would you say are the moments that really got you high…
Well, it might sound predictable but for an actor, highs are normally associated with the films we do. It is something for which we work hard and work far more than people give us credit for, so yes of course the highs in my lives have been my films. Having said that, it is obviously that the lows are also film-centric. Each release with it brings a lot of anticipation and it is really important for us that all our hardwork gets translated into a success but that doesn’t always happen like that. It has been the lowest phase of my life seeing my film bomb at the box office. I am trying though to keep positive and keep working hard.
Highs and lows are always a part of this work, but it is the fame that comes with it that makes it so desirable. Do you remember your first tryst with fame?
This is really funny but it so happened that when I had just started off in this industry, trying to get my footing here, I started off doing some ads and I remember one such campaign I was to go to Punjab for the shoot. It was over there that people suddenly swarmed me, they didn’t know how I was but just assumed that I am some big shot Bollywood celebrity and that really had them thrilled. In fact signed by first autographs then. This was way back in 2010, my first brush with fame.
For someone who has not really been a part of the industry and knows very little of the ways here, who have been your inspirations?
Since you quite rightly pointed that I don’t know anyone in the industry, I am learning from watching people around and making my own pointers. So yes, I have loads of people who have influenced me. But I must mention Priyanka Chopra here, when I see her, I see someone who was a rank outsider but she has really done well for herself. She has achieved so much in life and all on her own.
So what’s the one lesson you have learnt thus far…
To accept the challenges of life. It is something that obviously always seems rather scary at first but you have to take the plunge. For me doing Bigg Boss was a big challenge, firstly because it’s the very format of the show that scares you, imagine having been under the microscope 24 hours. It is unnerving to be put under that kind of pressure. Plus of course, I was very unsure if the audience would like me, will accept me. But as they say all’s well that ends well.
