Karishma Kotak: I’m going to absorb all that Lucknow has to offer

Karishma Kotak, playing a Lakhnawi girl in her film LucknowiIshq, is planning to explore the city while she shoots here.
Not many were familiar with Karishma till she participated in the TV show Bigg Boss Season 6. Prior to it, Karishma has anchored sports shows like IPL and CCL on TV, and has also acted in the film Mr Joe B Carvalho. But Karishma says acting in films is not her priority.
Bigg Boss got me films A Londoner, Karishma was spotted by photographer Atul Kasbekar on her visit to India in 2005. After modelling, Karishma acted in a Telugu movie Shankar Dada Zindabad, the remake of the Bollywood hit Lage Raho Munna Bhai. But Karishma says that her career got a boost after her stint on Bigg Boss.
“Bigg Boss was the turning point in my career. I don’t think it is a turning point for everybody’s career, but it definitely increased one or two people’s visibility.
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Arshad Warsi noticed me on the show and wanted me to do a guest appearance in his film Mr Joe B Carvalho. I accepted the offer, but the fact is I never wanted to do films because I have always been a TV presenter and anchor. I have never been an actress. But if somebody approaches me with a role and asks me if I am interested, I will say why not, if I like it. Even for this movie, Lucknowi Ishq, I was asked if I liked the story, liked the script, and I said, yes. So, films just happened to me. I always think I am a better writer, anchor and a good TV presenter. But I also definitely feel that life is too short and you should do movies that are offered to you. But my forte is anchoring. Right now, my entire focus is on LucknowiIshqbut in September-October I will be hosting another sports show similar to IPL on TV,” says Karishma.
Not being restricted to just movies and anchoring Making her choices pretty clear, Karishma explains why anchoring suits her more than acting. “In London, TV presenters are like God. They get magazine covers and the money they make is at par with someone who is doing a movie.
I just can’t be looking pretty and doing films: Karishma
My thinking is slightly different, maybe because I have been brought up in London. If I’m doing a movie, anchoring or modelling, it’s just a job and I am happy I can do all these different things. I am not like I’m not going to try this or that. So for me, it’s like try all things and find what you are good at and then try and make a living out of it. So, I’m not just restricting myself to movies or anchoring. I like people who are writers, who have become journalist-authors, like Nigella Lawson. She used to write for a leading magazine and now she has her own cookery show. I like people who have some substance. I just can’t be looking pretty and doing films!” she says.
I would love to participate in Nach Baliye Between doing films and hosting TV shows, Karishma was also offered daily soaps but she wasn’t interested in them. “I have been offered TV serials but I didn’t do them because I like to be a free bird. I like to do different things. Maybe I will do seven jobs in a month. I don’t think I can go to the same set every day for five years. But some people who are doing that, are doing extremely well. I was offered the dance reality show Nach Baliye as well but it did not work out because I was hosting IPL that time, so next year or year after that, I definitely want to participate in it because it’s a fun show and I think reality shows are a good way to connect with the audience,” opines Karishma.
I will roam around Lucknow Ask Karishma how she bagged the film Lucknowi Ishq and she says, “I got a call from the director of the film Anand Raut. I listened to the script and it impressed me so much that in an hour I said yes. I think if I look back, this film will surely make me smile. In the film I play the love interest of Adhyayan Suman. It’s a challenging love story set in Lucknow where Adhyayan and I meet, fall in love and separate due to some reasons and then Adhyayan woos me back. My schedule for the shoot will end by July 24. The second schedule will start in August. Meanwhile, I will roam around Lucknow and do some research work for my role of a Lakhnawi girl. Two-three weeks is a long time to be in a place so I think I am going to absorb all that Lucknow has to offer. I am a big fan of saris and kurtas from Lucknow so I am going to do a lot of shopping as well,” says Karishma, whose wish is to work with Farhan Akhtar and Ranbir Kapoor, the two actors she is most impressed with in the industry. “I have met both of them during the IPL. It’s been really great. I have watched Barfi! and I think Ranbir is superb in the movie. Let’s see when it happens,” says she while signing off.
WATCH: Karishma Kotak in Bigg Boss