3 weeks ago
Saiyami Kher on Finding Her Rhythm in Haiwaan and Cinema
Saiyami Kher is an actress from India who makes Hindi films, often called Bollywood movies.
A newspaper talked to her at a hotel in the city of Kolkata.
She is in a new thriller called Haiwaan, where she plays a police officer.
The film is directed by a famous filmmaker named Priyadarshan and also stars big actors named Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar.
Saiyami said the director works very fast, finishing scenes in just a few hours.
She first met Saif Ali Khan when she was a model doing an eyewear advertisement.
Her very first movie was called Mirzya, and many people called it a failure because it did not earn much money.
But Saiyami says it was still very special to her because it gave her great friends and teachers.
When she had no work, she started running and finished a marathon, which helped her get through a difficult time.
Now she hopes to make movies that help and inspire people.
Saiyami Kher plays a police officer in Priyadarshan's thriller Haiwaan, an official remake of the Malayalam film Oppam that reunites Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar.
Kher first met Saif Ali Khan more than a decade ago while modelling for an eyewear advertisement, and says he 'looks exactly the same' today.
Kher rejects the label of failure attached to her 2016 debut film Mirzya, saying it did not make money at the box office but was 'the best experience of my life.'
Her upcoming film Pal Bhar Ke Liye, directed by Vikram Phadnis, is set to premiere at the Melbourne Film Festival.
Kher counts sportspersons Roger Federer and Sachin Tendulkar among her heroes and believes cinema should help and inspire people.
After becoming a marathon runner to cope with a dry patch in work, Kher says she also took on 8A.M. Metro despite warnings that it had no producer or money.
- Who
- Saiyami Kher, an Indian actress, in conversation with Telegraph India at ITC Sonar.
- What
- An interview covering her role in the thriller Haiwaan, her career journey, her heroes and her views on success and failure.
- Where
- The business centre at ITC Sonar in Kolkata, India.
- When
- The interview took place on a Sunday; the article does not state an exact date.
- Why
- To discuss her work in Haiwaan and her personal views on how films should be judged and what makes cinema worth making.
Kher's View: Impact Over Box Office
Industry View: Box-Office Verdict
Measuring a film's success
Kher's View: Impact Over Box Office
Kher says films should not be judged by earnings alone; Mirzya was 'never a failure' to her because it brought life-changing relationships and experiences.
Industry View: Box-Office Verdict
The article notes that 'unfortunately, films are called successes or failures based on how much money they make,' a convention that labelled Mirzya a failure.
Choosing passion projects
Kher's View: Impact Over Box Office
Kher chose 8A.M. Metro because she loved the script, saying 'It's okay if no one watches it. I wanted to do it for myself.'
Industry View: Box-Office Verdict
Everyone advised Kher not to do 8A.M. Metro because there was no producer or money, reflecting conventional wisdom that such films are too risky.
Key facts
- Subject
- Saiyami Kher (age 32)
- Film discussed
- Haiwaan - thriller, official remake of Malayalam film Oppam
- Director of Haiwaan
- Priyadarshan
- Co-stars in Haiwaan
- Saif Ali Khan, Akshay Kumar
- Kher's role in Haiwaan
- Police officer
- Debut film
- Mirzya (2016), written by Gulzar
- Upcoming film
- Pal Bhar Ke Liye by Vikram Phadnis (premiering at the Melbourne Film Festival)
- Sporting heroes
- Roger Federer, Sachin Tendulkar
Quotes
Saiyami Kher
Bollywood actress, star of Mirzya and Haiwaan
“I did 8A.M. Metro because I loved the script. Everyone told me not to do it because there was no producer or money. I said, ‘It’s okay if no one watches it.’”
telegraphindia.com
“Growing up, we’ve always associated Priyan sir (Priyadarshan) with comedy, so it’s refreshing to see him explore a thriller.”
telegraphindia.com








