I was afraid that people would judge my Hindi because of my Bengali accent"; Indrakshi Kanjilal talks about her early days in Mumbai

Actress Indraxi Kanjilal who is better known as Prarthana from the popular TV show Pushpa Impossible, shares about her initial struggles in the city of dreams Mumbai. She has always dreamed of becoming an actress since quite an early age in her life. She says,”I wanted to be an actress from a very young age. I used to watch a lot of television shows with my mom, and I admired the actors I saw in those shows. As I grew up, my passion for acting became stronger. I had always planned to start my career at 18 because I wanted to focus on my studies first. Interestingly, I started modeling at the age of 3, but my real journey began after my 12th finals. I went to watch the film Doctor Strange, and I received a call saying I was selected for an audition and a mock shoot in Mumbai. After the mock shoot, I started shooting for my debut show Pushpa Impossible and it has been a beautiful journey ever since. It has been three years now, and I have learned a lot along the way.” Indraxi had never faced problems with convincing her family as her father (Mrinmoy Kanjilal) is a known producer in Kolkata. 

Sharing more on him, she says,”My father is from the entertainment industry, so he was very supportive of my decision. However, I always wanted to work in the Hindi industry and not in Bengali cinema. The real challenge was finding production houses and audition opportunities, but my parents were completely supportive, and I am very grateful for that. I moved to Mumbai in May 2022 to work. It was nerve-wracking for me because I was afraid people would judge my Hindi due to my Bengali accent. During my mock shoot, people were semi-nice to me, but once I started working, I was scolded a lot because I was raw and didn't know how to express emotions properly. I had no knowledge of the camera, but I was determined to learn.” 

She adds,”Mentally, it was a tough phase. I felt like I was in a completely new world, and at times, I felt empty inside. I used to cry alone a lot. Being a Bengali, I sometimes felt vulnerable because people would make fun of Bengalis, and I didn't always vibe with others. However, over time, I learned to not let people get under my skin. There were struggles, but I overcame them on my own.”

So whom does she consider her mentor or idol? She says,”I don’t have a single mentor, but I really look up to Priyanka Chopra. The way she carries herself as a feminist and represents herself globally is inspiring. I’m not as graceful as her yet, but I am learning. Another person I admire is Michelle Obama. She has influenced a whole generation of women on how to present themselves, and I find that commendable.”