Initial days were difficult; I'd get finalised during auditions, but still not bag the role: Mahie Gill on her struggle in Bollywood

Carving a niche for oneself in Bollywood is no mean feat. And to have thousands of fans adulate you, and directors bending over backwards to convince you for their films - the world is definitely your oyster if you make it big. Mahie Gill, who has been in the showbiz industry for over a decade, admits coming through as a versatile actress isn’t as easy as it appears. Considering the fact that she wasn’t born into the life of luxury, she had nothing but just the dream of being an actress to sustain her through some hard times. “The initial days of the struggle were very difficult. I would go for auditions, get finalized but still not end up getting the role! So you can understand how it is. But I definitely consider myself luck y to bag an offer in ‘Dev.D’, work with good directors, get interesting scripts and yes, have roles written especially for me."

Even though Mahie agrees that earning acceptance in Bollywood was initially a bit tough, she owes her success to the industry. “I have got everything I wanted because of this industry. I have no complaints. I’m having a terrific time acting in films and I appreciate that."

So while her perseverance in the face of formidable odds helped her turn the dream of being an actress into reality, Mahi feels she has been laidback in her approach to get stronger in the industry. When we asked her for a few tips to help her fans get their big breakthrough as actors, she stressed on the importance of networking and making the right connections. “Please don’t be lazy. It is really important to meet people in this industry. I’m a private person. I would rather sit at home than go out and meet people. But I don’t regret not socialising because I’m happy not doing it. I had come to Mumbai to earn money, and would have been happy with just TV shows too. My dream since childhood was to join the army, so yes, I never wanted to become an actor. Acting bhi hogai bahut badi baat hai."

Referring to her roles in upcoming film ‘Shareek’ as “boisterous" and “ziddi", Mahie is sure that her character will leave her fans happy. “Unlike the characters that you have seen me play in previous Punjabi films, my character in this film is very bold. She is very boisterous and ziddi. But then she sobers down. Siddhi saadhi ho jaandi ae. When people will watch this film, they will have a smile on their face. Pakka."

Content and elated with the adulation that she has received for her efforts in Bollywood, Mahie says its impact is evident when she takes up a Punjabi project. “People do give me a lot of respect. Roles are written specially only for me. People take me seriously and yes, all of this does make a difference to me."