‘I Am Not Bad On The Eyes’

‘People
think
that
because
there
are
so
many
OTT
platforms,
roles
should
just
fall
into
your
lap.’
‘That’s
not
true
at
all.’

“Through



Rediff.com,
I’d
like
to
ask
casting
directors
and
directors
for
work,”

RJ
Malishka
announces
as
she
gets
ready
to
spread
her
wings
as
an
actor.

The
RJ
enjoyed
playing
Sarojini
Naidu
in
the
Web
series



Freedom
At
Night,
and
wants
to
act
a
lot
more.

“In
2017,
I
remember
with
much
trepidation
calling
my
friend
at
Yash
Raj
and
saying
to
her,
‘I’m
an
actor.
I
want
to
act’,”
RJ
Malishka
tells

Patcy
N/Rediff.com.

You
have
done
bit
roles
in

Tumhari
Sulu
and
the
OTT
show

XXX.
Are
you
interested
in
acting?

I
have
always
been
an
actor.

In
fact,
I
trained
for
it
with
various
groups
in
Mumbai.
I
was
also
a
part
of
IPTA’s
theatre
group.
I
have
done
shows
at
Prithvi.

I
have
done
a
play
with
Mahabanoo
(Mody
Kotwal),
and
been
a
part
of

Vagina
Monologues,
as
a
guest.

So
it’s
not
entirely
new
for
me
to
be
an
actor.

The
only
thing
is
in
2017,
I
was
able
to
say
that
I’m
an
actor
and
that
I
want
to
do
this.

In
2017,
I
remember
with
much
trepidation
calling
my
friend
at
Yash
Raj
and
saying
to
her,
‘I’m
an
actor.
I
want
to
act.’

I
thought
she
would
laugh
at
me.
But
she
had
expected
it.

I
learned
a
great
lesson
about
how
we
stand
in
our
own
way.

I
had
a
barrier
in
my
own
head
that
I
am
this
person,
I
do
interviews
and
entertain
the
city
with
my
voice.

I
always
knew
I’m
a
performer
but
finally
said
it
aloud
in
2017,
that
I
wanted
to
act.

So
that
year,
I
did

Tumhari
Sulu.

But
people
said
that
I
played
myself
because
I
play
a
radio
jockey.
And
I
was
like,
no,
she’s
different.
Why
aren’t
you
noticing
this?

Reality
shows
are
easier
because
I
have
this
presence
on
the
radio
every
single
morning
and
that’s
a
big
deal.
You’re
in
everyone’s
ears.

I
did
a
lot
of
reality
shows,
like

Entertainment
Ki
Raat,
Jhalak
Dikhhla
Jaa,
Khatron
Ke
Khiladi.

Then
I
did
a
short
film
called

Parde
Mein
Rehne
Do
for
which
I
won
a
couple
of
awards.

I
love
the
fact
that
I
got
such
a
wonderful
role
in

Freedom
At
Midnight.

So
much
responsibility
was
placed
on
my
shoulders!

It’s
not
just
any
period
drama;
it’s
a
part
of
your
history.

I
definitely
want
to
act
more.
Yes,
I
am
an
actor.

Are
you
approaching
casting
directors
for
work?

I
did,
after

Parde
Mein
Rehne
Do.
I’ve
got
my
fingers
crossed
about

Freedom
At
Midnight
to
see
where
it
goes.

Through



Rediff.com,
I’d
like
to
ask
casting
directors
and
directors
for
work.

Is
it
difficult
to
get
roles?

Yes.
I
have
not
done
as
many
auditions
as
I
should
have.

All
the
auditions
that
I
did,
I
got
selected.
So
that’s
all
the
four
things
where
you
see
me
on
screen.

With
so
many
OTT
platforms
coming
up,
aren’t
you
getting
more
offers?

People
think
that
because
there
are
so
many
OTT
platforms,
roles
should
just
fall
into
your
lap.
That’s
not
true
at
all.

There
are
times
when
certain
shows
or
films
don’t
do
well,
and
they
get
pulled
out.

So
just
because
there
are
so
many
channels
does
not
a
guarantee
that
many
people
will
get
work.

Let’s
also
face
the
fact
that
people
come
in
droves
into
the
city
to
become
an
actor.

How
has
social
media
helped
your
career?

When
I
was
doing
radio,
I
would
always
tell
my
listeners
that
I
wish
you
could
see
what
was
going
on
in
the
studio
right
now.

I
wish
there
was
a
TV
to
capture
the
madness
in
the
studios
because
the
film
stars
would
be
there.

Eventually,
we
gave
you
a
more
sanitised
cut
of
it.

But
if
you
could
just
see
what
was
happening
in
the
background,
I’ve
had
some
crazy
interviews
with
stars.

We
made
them
do
crazy
things
and
they
had
a
great
time.

Social
media
gave
eyes
to
a
medium
that
should
have
always
perhaps
had
eyes.

It
gives
you
new
ways
of
channeling
your
creativity
and
brings
new
opportunities.

I
feel
you
have
a
chance
to
change
the
world.

You
can
refute
what
is
untrue.

You
can
stand
for
something.

In
fact,
in
2017,
I
made
a
song
on
potholes
(in
Mumbai)
for
the
radio
for
the
first
time
(Mumbai
Tula
BMC
Var
Bharosa
Nai
Kai).
We
made
a
video
and
that
blew
out
of
proportion.

People
resonated
with
that.

You
can
take
a
very
serious
issue
and
coat
it
with
humour
because
that
always
works.

It
brought
me
an
audience
I
never
had
before,
not
just
in
my
city
but
everyone
—
from
film
stars
to
the
common
man.
It
took
me
all
over
the
world.

I
remember
when
I
went
to
IIFA
that
year
—
I
was
hosting
the
green
carpet
—
people
from
America
were
calling
out
my
name.

Social
media
did
all
that.
It
gave
us
a
face
and
a
challenge
to
think
better.

Social
media
brought
you
to
the
forefront.
Would
you
prefer
that
or
was
the
anonymity
better?

Anonymity
was
the
mainstay
of
radio
and
it
was
great.

There
was
a
time
when
mystery
worked
but
it’s
not
relevant
anymore.

For
example,
in

Freedom
At
Midnight
you
will
see
a
lot
of
radio
because
that
was
the
only
means
of
communication
at
that
point,
apart
from
letters.

Today,
you
have
many
more
advanced
ways
of
being
in
touch
with
people.
Just
to
be
a
voice
is
so
whimsical.

I
am
not
bad
on
the
eyes.

Radio
allowed
me
the
ability
to
talk
in-depth
about
stuff
because
you
are
not
worried
about
how
you
look
or
who
is
looking
at
you.

It
allowed
me
to
think
better
in
my
zone
and
be
able
to
talk.

Now,
I
hope
to
translate
that
on
video.

Where
are
you
heading
career
wise?

Upwards
and
onwards
is
what
I
want
to
say.

I
have
always
had
this
thing,
since
childhood,
that
don’t
put
me
in
a
box,
don’t
tell
me
to
do
this
or
that.
That
paid
off.

But
to
be
able
to
say,
I
want
to
do
this
or
that,
and
to
be
able
to
follow
through
is
the
important
thing.

I
wanted
to
do
a
bit
of
everything.

But
if
you
ask
me,
what
do
I
want
to
do
in
the
future,
I
would
definitely
love
to
do
more
acting
projects.

Which
actor
has
the
best
voice
in
the
industry?