Actor Akansha Ranjan Kapoor has said her job is not to prove people wrong, but to act. The actor made the remark while reflecting on the praise she has received for her performances in Gram Chikitsalay and Ikka, calling it one of the most rewarding phases of her career.
In an exclusive conversation with India Today, the 32-year-old spoke about choosing substance over screen time, continuing to audition despite a growing body of work, dealing with perceptions around her background, and why networking still matters in the space. She also spoke about how Ikka came to her, working with actor Akshaye Khanna, and the kind of work she hopes to do next.
Kapoor spoke about the response to Gram Chikitsalay and Ikka, saying, “It feels like something I’ve been waiting for. I’ve worked towards this for a long time, so finally getting this response feels really good. It feels like, ‘Okay, you’ve done it.’ I’m very grateful.”
While the two projects couldn’t be more different, Akansha insisted that her approach to choosing work has remained unchanged since her debut. “The aim has always been the same, from before I started and even now, five years later. I want to do things that give me something in return. Whether it’s a great director I can learn from, a co-star I can learn from, or simply being part of a great team, there has to be something that excites me,” she said.
For her, the size of a project has never been the deciding factor. She said, “It can’t just be, ‘Come, let’s do this.’ It can’t be that I’m part of a big film, but I have nothing meaningful to do. I want to have a takeaway because you spend so much time, effort, and energy on a project. Even while I’m on set and after it releases, I need to feel a kick. It’s never been about a small project versus a big project. It simply has to make me feel something.”
The actor also dismissed the idea that screen time determines the value of a role, saying, “Screen time has never mattered to me. Of course, I’m waiting for bigger opportunities, and I’m excited for them, but in the meantime, I want to act. I want to keep putting my work out there.”
She recalled that several filmmakers approached her for smaller roles simply because they wanted to work with her. Akansha shared, “Many directors who’ve given me smaller roles have told me, ‘We know you’re a capable actor. We may not have a big part for you right now, but we want to work with you,’ like Vasant sir, Siddharth P Malhotra. Why would I say no to working with filmmakers like them?”
Five years after Guilty, Akansha believes that audiences have started seeing her differently. “People probably didn’t know what I could bring to the table when I started. But now, after Guilty, Gram Chikitsalay and Monica, which are all so different, I think there’s at least a sense that, ‘Okay, she can deliver.’ For now, that’s more than enough,” she said.
Background, perception and auditions
The actor also got candid about the assumptions people made because of her background, but said she never saw herself as a victim. “I don’t consider myself a victim. I don’t think anyone owes me anything. People had opinions about me because of my background or because of what they saw on social media, and that’s okay,” she said.
The 32-year-old added, “My job isn’t to convince people that I’m amazing. My job is to act and show people that I can act. As long as people say, ‘Akansha can act,’ they can have ten other opinions about me. That’s the nature of this industry.”
How Ikka happened
with Akshaye Khanna, the actor revealed that the movie came her way differently. “I was initially approached for another OTT project that I would have auditioned for. Then they asked me to do this part instead. It wasn’t a role that really required an audition because it wasn’t dialogue-heavy, and that’s how it happened.”
On sharing screen space with Akshaye, Akansha said his quiet confidence left an impression on her. “I found him a very strong personality. He has a very strong presence. The moment he walked onto the set, you could feel the energy change. But he was completely chill and never made anyone feel intimidated. That created a very comfortable environment, and I’d like to become that kind of actor too,” the actor expressed.
She also remembered how the 51-year-old was anxious about the after its trailer released. “He kept asking me, ‘What do you think of the trailer? Do you think it’ll work? Do you think women will like it?’ It was funny because he genuinely didn’t know how people were going to react,” Akansha recalled.
OTT, criticism and what next
Asked whether OTT has truly become a merit-driven space, Akansha said the answer isn’t straightforward. “Networking definitely still matters. Your background still matters. There are filmmakers who genuinely want to cast on merit, but they also have to deal with streaming platforms, algorithms and commercial expectations. It’s still a tug of war. There are flaws in the system, but there’s still hope in OTT.”
Fortunately, she hasn’t yet had to deal with a project being rejected by audiences. She said, “I’ve been lucky that most of my work has been well received. I’m sure criticism won’t feel nice when it happens, but I’m very self-aware. If something isn’t working, I usually know it myself. I’m quite pragmatic that way.”
As for what’s next, Akansha isn’t limiting herself to any one genre. She said, “I don’t have a favourite genre. I want to try everything. I never thought I’d enjoy doing a drama so much, so I’m excited to discover what else I can do”
She named Vikramaditya Motwane, Anubhav Sinha and Shonali Bose among the filmmakers she’d love to collaborate with, but it’s one particular role that she hopes comes her way someday. The actor said, “I’ve always had this dream of doing a heartfelt father-daughter film with either Pankaj Tripathi or Gajraj Rao. I don’t know why, but that’s always been my dream role.”
Even the fear of being typecast doesn’t occupy much space in her mind.
“Very few actors have the privilege of choosing roles based on whether they’ll be typecast or not. Most of us choose from the opportunities we get. If I ever get typecast, then it’s my responsibility to keep proving that I can do more. That’s why I audition for everything. Of course, I hope people see me differently and offer me the kind of work I’ve been waiting for. But what happens beyond your own efforts is never something you can control or bank on,” she said.