Looking back on her childhood in the industry, she shares how her parents ensured she experienced a normal upbringing despite beginning her acting journey at a young age. “My parents were conscious in protecting me and ensuring that I didn’t see that side of fame. They were picky with the movie subjects and made sure I did it at my own pace. I used to do one film a year which was done during school vacations. So, I did grow up on set, but now that I look back, I don’t feel like I grew up famous nor had much of a relationship with fame.”
Reflecting on the time she stepped away from acting during her teenage years, she says, “I realised I was changing so much as a person. But the only thing that stayed constant was that I wanted to be an actor and do this for the rest of my life.”
Speaking about preparing for Dhurandhar and working with director Aditya Dhar, she says, “There was a lot of learning and then unlearning. I had Aditya [Dhar] Sir guide me through all the process and I did a lot of scene prep at home as well.”
Sharing the one lesson from her childhood performances that she hopes to hold onto throughout her career, she reflects, “As children, you’re so instinctive. There’s no judgment or layers of emotion. No overthinking. It’s just real so I’m going to try and protect that.”
Opening up about sharing screen space with Ranveer Singh, she says, “To watch Ranveer as a co-actor and him giving his all is such a privilege. The way he makes the film his child, and he cares about everybody’s performance and energy is so generous of him”. She adds, “Another thing I brought back home with me is the value that he has towards his craft and it’s so brilliant to see how he has a do-or-die attitude in every situation.”
Speaking about her evolving outlook on success, she says, “I’m at an age where I am very fluid and there is so much growth left for me. My idea of success keeps changing. If I define it too specifically, I limit my own growth.”
Reflecting on working across multiple film industries, she says, “As artists, the aim is to ensure that our audiences feel something when they watch our films. So, it’s a lot to do with feeling and less to do with the language of it. When I see a character, I see them for who they are as a human and not what language they speak in.”
The July-August issue of Grazia India features Sara Arjun in an intimate conversation about growing up in cinema, rediscovering her craft, embracing reinvention and stepping confidently into the next phase of her acting journey.
