Slow climb for Saiyami

Saiyami Kher

Despite being helmed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and penned by Gulzar, Saiyami Kher's debut vehicle, Mirziya (2016), failed to propel her to stardom, like several Bollywood launch films do. With subsequent offers also failing to exploit her skills, Kher admits that what followed was a string of rejections from filmmakers.

"The path hasn't been smooth," says the actor, who has been receiving praise for her latest act as a batting prodigy who loses her hand on the eve of her international cricketing debut in Ghoomer. "There were times when the rejections were disheartening. But I held on to the belief that my time would come."

While there was never a single offering that brought her overnight fame, Kher says she managed to slowly rise up the ranks by making smart choices. "Working with filmmakers like Anurag Kashyap, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Neeraj Pandey, and R Balki has been a dream come true. Their belief in me and the author-backed roles that they gave me the privilege to play have been transformative. I am grateful for the space I am in now."