National Award-Winning Actress Geetanjali Thapa Was Once Told She 'Didn't Look Indian Enough' For A Role

New Delhi: Actress Geetanjali Thapa, who stars in upcoming film Bioscopewala, says she was once told that she "did not look Indian enough" for a role. Geetanjali, who starred in Vikramaditya Motwane's Trapped last year, also told news agency PTI that the perception about regional actor is changing. "I have faced discrimination. I have been told I can't do this as I don't look Indian enough. People say 'She is a good actor but she doesn't (look) Indian'," Geetanjali told PTI. The 30-year-old actress added that comments like these don't bother her anymore. "I used to feel sad about it, but now I have developed a thick skin. I laugh it off, it doesn't affect me at all. I am here and doing good work. There are filmmakers, who are willing to cast me and that is great," she said.

Geetanjali Thapa, who won Best Actress National Award for her role in Liar's Dice, told PTI that the perception towards actors from the north-east is changing slowly but it cannot happen overnight. "There are certain filmmakers who are willing to change the history or ethnicity or back story of a character to fit me and that is great. Why should I always play a girl from north-east? Maybe, I can play an Indian girl, who is studying in Diu or Mumbai or from Bangalore. I think all this will change but it will take time. I think we have to move forward. Slowly but surely things are changing," she said.

Geetanjali told PTI that working with Danny Denzongpa, Adil Hussain and Tisca Chopra in Bioscoewala was a 'masterclass' of sorts. "They were all very warm and helpful, they did not intimidate me, they were very accommodating. They are a brilliant bunch of actors. They pushed me to make my craft better... It was an enriching experience," she said.



Bioscopewala is a re-telling of Rabindranath Tagore's 1892 short story Kabuliwala, which Geetanjali remembers reading during my school days.

Geetanjali debuted in 2012 film I.D and has featured in films such as Monsoon Shootout and Liar's Dice, which have toured several international film festivals. But she wants to be accepted in 'all kinds of films.' "The role has to excite me, be it in the commercial space or indie. It has turned out that I like doing only certain kind of films, but it is not a conscious decision. It has worked out that way. I am a greedy actor. I want to do it all," she told PTI.

Bioscopewala is expected to release later this month.

(With inputs from PTI)