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#KetchupTalks: Anusha Mishra from Tera Kya Hoga Alia talks about her unexpected acting career

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Priyanka Parmar
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Anusha Mishra

Anusha Mishra who is the leading character in Sony Sab TV's Tera Kya Hoga Alia talks about her career switch, how people should deal with plus-size issues, the evolution of TV serials and more.

We recently caught up with the gorgeous and talented, Anusha Mishra whose launch into the world of acting was as much as a surprise for her as it was for her current fans! The actress who previously works on the other side of television shows and created digital content to promote shows suddenly found herself auditioning for one of the shows! This is stuff that dreams (and Bollywood films) are made of, right?

Well, Anusha Mishra took the leap, followed her gut and millions of viewers across the country now know her as, Alia, the central character in Tera Kya Hoga Alia. Her journey may sound unreal but it's true and inspiring at the same time. Say cheers to following your heart and read more about Anusha Mishra's journey!

 1. How did your journey as an actor begin?

I didn't choose this. I was at a shoot one day & I got a call from the programming team of Sony Sab, Prasasti and she said that we have a show coming up, it's about a plus size girl. I was like, "Oh so is that the reason I'm getting this role?" and she said, "Yes". I laughed for 5 mins and then they said there's a show you can audition for if you like as you may fit the bill. The reason I got the call was because in the past year and a half we had made a lot of videos for Sony Sab, it was one of our brands and so we made a lot of videos and I featured in a few of them and they were like okay she may fit the bill and so here we were, I auditioned and two weeks later I got it!

2. How different is it being an actor from a digital marketing professional?

Honestly, the difference between a digital marketing professional and an actor for me is that I am sitting for a lot fewer brainstorms now (laughs). I'm responding to a lot fewer client emails and talking to a lot fewer people in terms of... "Okay, yeh idea nahi chal raha hai... yeh karte hai, woh karte hai..." Now it is more about, how I'm able to learn my lines quickly and how I'm able to deliver accuracy in every single shot. When I was a creative supervisor if it wasn't working I'd think of a plan A or B but here it is only and only about A. It's somebody else's plan and not yours, so its a little different. There I had the control and here I'm in someone else's control.

3. How do you think television shows have evolved over the years?

Ok, I have not watched enough tv shows to answer this question, but I think they are going pretty strong in the direction they have been for years. However, there are plenty of shows that are not just those typical saas-bahu drama that we keep hearing about over and over, things have evolved. We are talking about more things now for eg. our show talks about a plus-size chic with her insecurities and such which isn't something that a lot of people have looked at or worked out. Then there are so many other shows that are talking about different relations, different ways that life is going on. However, there are some shows that are doing the same people turning into animals thing and such. But I think that they have evolved in the sense that the audience has evolved and are wanting more smarter content and content they can relate to. Relatable content is what it has evolved to.

4. Your show, Tera Kya Hoga Alia deals with the insecurities that come with not being a certain size. How important do you think it is to have stories that are inclusive in nature?

Stories that are inclusive in nature are really important and that is one of the main reasons why we are doing this show. Because not a lot has been unfortunately captured on TVor cinemas about a regular-sized person. Not to say that ppl who are slim and trim are not regular sized but they are more visible in media as compared to a plus-sized person. When a plus-size person is visible it's more about the laughter factor. Thankfully it's not the case in our show. It's extremely important to capture ppl of all sizes, ages, caste, creed and colour because there are so many people on the planet and making shows that only feature a few does not give people enough power to feel confident in themselves. Ever since I have become a part of the show, so many ppl have told me that they feel that their size does not stop them anymore which is what I had felt for 2 years because I thought my size was stopping me. But it wasn't that, it was me and my brain that stopped me and now it's beyond that. I'm thankful that people are seeing someone similar to them and feeling that their size is not it that it's not the end of all, that they can do so much more despite or with their size.

5. In India or all over, people are often too quick and insensitive while advising plus size people which only makes someone feel more conscious of their insecurities. What would you like to say to such people?

People who make others conscious about their insecurities, I think that's what they have experienced in their times. What I want t tell them is to unlearn such things because telling someone, "Are tere daant kaise lag rahe hai, tu kitni moti ho gayi hai patli ho gayi hai whatever, how does that help? If it's not something you can fix in the next 5 seconds don't talk about it. I can't change my 30 kgs weight gain in 5 seconds when you say oh tu kitni moti hogayi hai, can I lose my weight in 5 secs? I cannot. However, if you say something is stuck in my teeth, then I can fix it. So, I think a little more awareness of people's emotions and feelings and a little more empathy, will go a long way for people who make others conscious about their insecurities. Because I have experienced this for years with my extended family, with some people I have met and it's not the best. And if they were a little empathic life would be very diff today.

6. How important is it to have a sense of self-love? For young girls, especially?

Okay, I don't know how far I have come in that department. I'm still working on it every single day and I'm very far away from achieving my goal. But, I think just a little more confidence in who you are and listening less to what everybody has to say. A little less listening and a lot more ignorance will go a long way for people and young girls, anybody eventually on their way to self-love. Because where people are coming from and their perspective may not match yours and if you sit and listen to what they have to say, then how are you going to think about yourself? They have a mouth let them speak, you have your mouth, your mind and you need to think and speak for yourself, to your self. Speaking to themselves in the right manner will help people gain the self-love we are talking about. Only if I had been a little more kind to myself maybe, I would have been a lot more different today. I think that is what everybody should think about, especially, young girls.

7. You must have worked with copy, taglines and such in your previous career. What would you say is the perfect tagline for, 'Anusha Mishra'?

The perfect tag line for me?! I think it would be, 'Oh, good God!' because I don't believe in aesthetic or God. So, I think that is the perfect tagline.

We also played a quick 'Ketchup' sesh with Anusha Mishra and she had quite a lot of interesting answers:

Your favourite television actor?

I don't have one, sorry.

Which show did you watch the most growing up?

'Hum Paanch'. My mom is a tv actress so I watched her serials a lot. 'Kaahin Kissii Roz' and 'Saat Phere' were my favourite and also 'Kya Haadsa Kya Hakikat'. These 3 I used to watch a lot.
Your favourite vamp?
It would have to be Sudha Chandran ma'am from 'Kaahin Kissii Roz'. She was amazing in the show.
A character you were fascinated by when you were younger?
I loved Rapunzel, I still love her and I loved Hulk and still do. So, these are the two I'm fascinated by.
If you could play an iconic vamp, who would it be?
I would like to play Bane from Batman, I think Bane was pretty kick-ass.
Tera Kya Hoga Alia starring Anusha Mishra airs Monday to Friday on SAB TV at 10 pm.
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