HDFC Bank CEO Aditya Puri's daughter Amrita's journey to Bollywood has been a bumpy ride
“If my dad had been more open to it (acting), I would have done a post graduate degree in acting instead of mass communication," says Amrita. (Pic by BCCL)
It was neither by design, nor by accident thatAmrita Puri is an actress now. It was the sheer frustration of spending endless hours behind closed doors thinking about a line or two to persuade you and me to buy a soap or a toothpaste.
From copy writing at Ogilvy & Mather to Kai Po Che, life has been a road of many bumps for the 29-year old actress, though the ride was in a luxury Mercedes.
But the brush with acting through plays in college, especially a role in which the character is chained, provided the determination to overcome the obstacles, with the first one at home.
When Puri first threw the idea of getting into Bollywood, there was silence, like in most middle class families that have come up with academic excellence leading to professional achievements.
Indeed, Aditya Puri, the most successful chief executive of the Indian banking industry, was hell-bent on his daughter being employed as a professional in advertising, or communication.
"If my dad had been more open to it (acting), I would have done a post graduate degree in acting instead of mass communication. I just feel being a trained actor adds a lot," says Amrita, sitting in her own dwelling, a few floors above her parents at Worli, Mumbai.
The lack of training and little help from family led young Puri to wander in the wilderness. The first two years in search of a chance to prove her mettle as an actress were in vain.
There were roles, but only in commercials for Garnier and L'Oreal. "First two years, I was just modelling. I was a struggling actoress and that phase was tough," she says. Those were the moments when the elder Puri was silently nursing the dream of his daughter returning to the office culture.
Unlike in his professional life, he was disappointed. If at all anything, the will of Amrita strengthened and a stroke of luck hit her throughFacebook that led to her getting a role as a Haryanvi village girl.
"He thought that I would eventually come back since it is a very tough industry," says the younger Puri, who relishes Sushi as well as the homeland Parathas. "He thought I would give up and get back to copy writing or whatever it is. That's the impression he had. When I got Aisha, he was surprised."
It was a doubtful start when she finally bagged the role of Shefali Thakur in Aisha. The biggest challenge for the typical South Mumbai girl was to speak in chaste Haryanvi accent. She was staring at the spectre of failure even before taking the first step. She was about to give up and that was when the father in Aditya Puri came with a helping hand, persuading her that it could be a success.
From copy writing at Ogilvy & Mather to Kai Po Che, life has been a road of many bumps for the 29-year old actress, though the ride was in a luxury Mercedes.
But the brush with acting through plays in college, especially a role in which the character is chained, provided the determination to overcome the obstacles, with the first one at home.
When Puri first threw the idea of getting into Bollywood, there was silence, like in most middle class families that have come up with academic excellence leading to professional achievements.
Indeed, Aditya Puri, the most successful chief executive of the Indian banking industry, was hell-bent on his daughter being employed as a professional in advertising, or communication.
"If my dad had been more open to it (acting), I would have done a post graduate degree in acting instead of mass communication. I just feel being a trained actor adds a lot," says Amrita, sitting in her own dwelling, a few floors above her parents at Worli, Mumbai.
The lack of training and little help from family led young Puri to wander in the wilderness. The first two years in search of a chance to prove her mettle as an actress were in vain.
There were roles, but only in commercials for Garnier and L'Oreal. "First two years, I was just modelling. I was a struggling actoress and that phase was tough," she says. Those were the moments when the elder Puri was silently nursing the dream of his daughter returning to the office culture.
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"He thought that I would eventually come back since it is a very tough industry," says the younger Puri, who relishes Sushi as well as the homeland Parathas. "He thought I would give up and get back to copy writing or whatever it is. That's the impression he had. When I got Aisha, he was surprised."
It was a doubtful start when she finally bagged the role of Shefali Thakur in Aisha. The biggest challenge for the typical South Mumbai girl was to speak in chaste Haryanvi accent. She was staring at the spectre of failure even before taking the first step. She was about to give up and that was when the father in Aditya Puri came with a helping hand, persuading her that it could be a success.
"My reservations were largely because I didn't know much about the profession. It's a very uncertain profession which exposes you too much to the world," says Aditya Puri, who is now a lot more comfortable with his daughter being in Bollywood than a few years ago. "But all credit to her. Instead of directly confronting me, she reasoned out." The older Puri was still halfhearted in his agreement.
"I would not help you in any way, but I will back you," he said, but even that was enough for a girl when the fear of being pulled back from her mission was lingering.
For someone with a graduation in English literature and a diploma in mass communication, the life at Bollywood appears to be settled for now. The critical acclaim for her role in Kai Po Che, a movie based on Chetan Bhagat's The 3 Mistakes of My Life, as female lead Vidhya Bhatt has opened up many opportunities and has changed her parents' attitude towards Bollywood.
"I had my wrong notions about the profession and the people involved," says the banker Puri. "When I met Anil Kapoor and Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor, film director) I realised they are people who hold highest regard for family values and that this business is run like any other business and they are very hard working people." The next dream for Amrita Puri is to pairRanbir Kapoor, and for the HDFC Bank CEO, Amrita is the best actor on the planet.
"I would not help you in any way, but I will back you," he said, but even that was enough for a girl when the fear of being pulled back from her mission was lingering.
For someone with a graduation in English literature and a diploma in mass communication, the life at Bollywood appears to be settled for now. The critical acclaim for her role in Kai Po Che, a movie based on Chetan Bhagat's The 3 Mistakes of My Life, as female lead Vidhya Bhatt has opened up many opportunities and has changed her parents' attitude towards Bollywood.
"I had my wrong notions about the profession and the people involved," says the banker Puri. "When I met Anil Kapoor and Gattu (Abhishek Kapoor, film director) I realised they are people who hold highest regard for family values and that this business is run like any other business and they are very hard working people." The next dream for Amrita Puri is to pairRanbir Kapoor, and for the HDFC Bank CEO, Amrita is the best actor on the planet.
Source : By Anita Bhoir, ET Bureau
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