“I am meant for doing big things.” Sargun Mehta talked about her transition from television to making a mark in the Punjabi film industry.
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00:00I am a big-screen heroine.
00:01I used to cry day and night that one day I will learn.
00:04So everyone asked me, what are you doing?
00:06Who watches Punjabi films?
00:11Did you start your career in 2009?
00:13Yes.
00:15Meaning, 24 minus 9, 15 years.
00:19Yes, 15 years.
00:2115 years, not bad at all.
00:23Not bad at all.
00:30I am really attached to TV.
00:34If not for television, I would not ever be sitting where I'm sitting.
00:37In fact, television, I keep telling people now also,
00:40you know, a few of my friends,
00:41I say that maybe they don't teach you films.
00:44They don't have the patience or the time to teach you acting.
00:48Who is teaching you in films?
00:49No one is going to teach you.
00:51I used to learn on television every day.
00:53I must have performed so badly in my first year of career.
00:58And everyone was loving me.
01:00I was still okay.
01:01I could get away with it.
01:03I could get away with it.
01:05I used to learn on the set and I have learned to cry.
01:08I have learned to cry for 1.5 years.
01:10I used to cry day and night that one day I will learn.
01:13You know me because of television, not films.
01:15Of course.
01:15Let's get real about this.
01:17Sure.
01:17I understand and I admit.
01:19I got my first film because my hero's mother said that a girl used to come
01:25to Karol Bagh and play Beechwale Behen and the Punjabis used to call her.
01:30Which actor's mother was she?
01:31Amrinder Gill.
01:32Yes.
01:33When I went into the industry,
01:34in fact, I had an offer from a South film.
01:37So, the people who were managing me at that time,
01:38the people who got me South films,
01:40said that if a Punjabi does it, she won't be able to do anything else.
01:43I said, it's fine.
01:44I will go there.
01:45Because I am feeling that right now.
01:47So, you preferred a Punjabi film over a South film?
01:51Yes.
01:51Over everything.
01:52Over everything.
01:53I just wanted to do it.
01:56If I will do it, I will do it with these three people only or else I won't do it.
01:59Amrinder Gill, Diljit Dosanjh, Gippy Grewal.
02:01They kept saying, there are more people.
02:03I said, no.
02:04These three people and I will become one of these three people's heroine and make my debut.
02:08This is what I want.
02:10It was that bloody specific.
02:12I didn't even know when my first film became a super hit.
02:16I thought that when I did my first film,
02:19everyone asked me, what are you doing?
02:21Who watches Punjabi films?
02:22At that time, the environment was also like that.
02:24I am not calling people out.
02:25I am saying that they didn't know and I didn't know either.
02:27That the level at which Punjabi films are today, they didn't know at that time.
02:30So, I went ahead.
02:31I did the film.
02:32The trailer came.
02:33I went and told people that I did a Punjabi film.
02:35See, this is my trailer.
02:36This is my trailer.
02:37And I was like, okay, fine.
02:39Don't watch it.
02:40And there was Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Bahubali in theatres and Mission Impossible.
02:45My three best films.
02:47In Canada, Mission Impossible was in like 400 seats.
02:52They literally swapped it on Saturday with Angrej.
02:56It was the biggest blockbuster that could be at that point of time.
03:01Did you ever have that feeling that I have conquered TV.
03:06But in a Hindi film, like Karan Johar's film,
03:09did you have that aspiration?
03:10That aspiration is still there.
03:12Why wouldn't it be?
03:13It is such a beautiful aspiration to have.
03:15For any actor and not only for an actor.
03:19I would want to be a part of every medium that is there.
03:22If I find out that these four Bengali people don't know who Sargun Mehta is,
03:26then I will do Bengali cinema here.
03:28My idea is that every person should know me.
03:31And should know me by my name and by my craft.
03:34I am a big screen heroine.
03:36I am made to do big things.
03:37So, I just feel like I want to do that.
03:39So, that big screen will be in any language.
03:42I will go everywhere.
03:43So, that big screen will be in any language.
03:45I will go everywhere.