Mumbai: Shanaya Kapoor said destiny brought her to her second film, survival thriller ‘Tu Yaa Main’, which features her in the role of a social media influencer.
The actress made her acting debut opposite Vikrant Massey in ‘Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan’. She credited casting director Mukesh Chhabra for the role in ‘Tu Yaa Main’.
“When I read the scenes, I found them super fun. I was like, ‘It’s destiny that allowed me to be there at the right time, right moment and Mukesh sir for thinking of me in the first place that I got the chance to audition’. I’m just starting out, so I’m just like an open book. I want to explore everything. I need to figure out which direction I want to go in,” she told PTI.
‘Tu Yaa Main’ revolves around social media influencers portrayed by Shanaya and Adarsh Gourav, whose romantic getaway takes a deadly turn when they find themselves trapped in a swimming pool with a crocodile. It is helmed by Bejoy Nambiar and is slated to release theatrically on February 13.
Shanaya’s debut film ‘Aankhon Ki Gustaakhiyan’ didn’t do well at the box office, but she said seeing herself on the big screen for the first time was a ‘big achievement’ for her.
“I wouldn't say that the film didn’t receive love. It didn’t reflect in the numbers. But for me, it was a moment, I was happy seeing myself on the big screen. For me, that was the moment that I’ve been waiting for. So, when I was watching it in the theatre, even if no one was there, it was just me. I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I had to soak in that moment, appreciate that moment and not get distracted by anything else. It was my first movie and it’s very special to me. It always will be, no matter what,” Shanaya said.
Instead of dwelling on the result of the film, the actress said she stayed focused on her next project, ‘Tu Yaa Main’. “I’m an actor. I want my films to do well. I want the audience to go in and like it. The theatre should be jam-packed. I want that and that is the dream and that’s what I’m working towards and that is the aim and motivation.”
To prepare for her role of social media influencer, Avani, Shanaya said she revisited survival thriller films like ‘Jaws’, ‘Crawl’ and ‘The Meg’. She also did an unconventional acting exercise with acting coach Atul Mongia.