Be the change

Pavail Gulati

It has taken Pavail Gulati over a decade to reach a position where two of his films, Dobaaraa and Goodbye, have released within months of one another. Next up, he has Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's web series Faadu with which he will round off 2022. Tell him he has had a string of interesting projects, and the actor says that he went through "a lot of crying and depression" over failed auditions and lost roles before breaking out in Bollywood with Thappad (2020).

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"I wouldn't have been able to do the parts that I am doing right now had it not been for those 12 years of my life. I call it growing instead of struggling," he reflects. Gulati credits his family and close friends for giving him the strength to chase his ambition despite initial setbacks. "I have had a supportive family and great friends, who didn't let me get bitter."

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It is, however, natural to be disillusioned in an industry that is notoriously nepotistic, leaving outsiders with fewer opportunities. But Gulati would rather be a part of the actionable change than lament about the unfairness of it all. "Life is not fair to anyone. To moan about it doesn't serve anything. Work hard, achieve a position and change things. I need to achieve that position of power to change things. I need to fight through it."