Kriti Sanon opens up on outsider struggles in Bollywood, reveals there are no free lunches: ‘There will be so many people telling you…’

Kriti Sanon, who started as an engineering student and model, has carved her own path in Bollywood. She made her debut with Tiger Shorff in 'Heropanti' and quickly caught the audience’s attention. Over the years, she has delivered hit films like 'Bareilly Ki Barfi', 'Luka Chuppi', and 'Mimi', with the latter winning her the National Award for Best Actress. In a chat with CNN-News18, Kriti spoke openly about the struggles of outsiders in Bollywood. She said, “You need to really be passionate about it and there is no shortcut. Nothing comes easy, there are no free lunches. You have to work hard towards it, and what is also very, very important is not to give up, because there will be times, especially when you don’t come from a film background, when no one’s giving you anything on a platter.”She further added, “There will be so many people telling you why it’s too big a dream, why it can’t happen, why contact is needed, why connections are needed, or what is wrong with you, you’re too short, you’re too tall, you’re too thin, you’re not in the right shape, whatever. I feel people are going to tell you what’s wrong with you; no one’s really going to tell you that you can do it other than you."Kriti also spoke about the importance of staying focused and continuously improving oneself. She said that one needs to be very driven, passionate, and patient, and that success will come when the time is right. She emphasised that it is crucial to keep working on oneself and that the years spent before landing a big film should not be seen as a setback, but rather as time to grow and get better. Sanon added, “Just have a different approach maybe it’s taking so long because you need that time to work on yourself, to get better. So it’ll happen when the time is right, I promise you that, but you have to be at it.”Kriti was last seen in 'Do Patti', where she impressed audiences with a double role. Next, she will star opposite Dhanush in Anand L. Rai’s 'Tere Ishk Mein'.