"Mawra was like a sister, but she let us down", says Shaan Groverr who worked on 'Sanam Teri Kasam'

Actor Shaan Groverr is best known for his role in several shows and films but even worked as an assistant director on the re-release mega hit, Sanam Teri Kasam.

In an exclusive conversation with India Forums, Groverr went on to talk about an array of things ranging from the recent controversy surrounding Sanam Teri Kasam 2 regarding Mawra Hocane's removal to his upcoming projects and more.

Q. Do you think the makers and Harshvardhan Rane were correct in the way they went on to confirm about Mawra not being a part of Sanam Teri Kasam 2?

Sanam Teri Kasam did really well, and I’ve always said that the credit goes to everyone involved — the directors, Harshvardhan bhai, and even Mawra — actually, to a great extent, Mawra as well, because in many ways she’s the real protagonist of the film. But I won’t deny, I saw what she had written, maybe in a tweet or a story, and I also saw Harsh bhai’s reply to it, where he said he wouldn’t work with her again. Honestly, I support Harsh bhai on this. It was a bit of a letdown for me, too. I didn’t expect it because Mawra was amazing to work with. She was my favourite person on set. I felt like she was an elder sister to me, and she saw me as a younger brother. We shared a special bond. So when I heard about everything that happened, I felt quite disappointed. I won’t lie — I was shocked. And as a human being and as an Indian citizen, I support Harsh bhai’s stand. Considering the current tensions, we should avoid working with artists from across the border. Earlier, I used to say that creativity should have no boundaries or prejudice, and it’s okay to work with them. But the way we welcome them, love them, and appreciate them — why don’t they do the same for us? Why don’t they invite actors like Varun Dhawan, Ranbir Kapoor, or Harshvardhan Rane to work there? That’s never happened, not even once in the last 20-30 years. I’ve never hesitated to speak about this. So yes, kudos to Harsh bhai and the Sanam Teri Kasam team — if they’ve taken a stand, I’ll definitely stand by them, proudly, as an Indian.

Q. Shaan. What has been the biggest learning and biggest regret for you so far in your acting career?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt till now is that talent alone is not enough. You might be the most talented person, but still not have work or success. That’s a hard truth I’ve come to realise – and many others do too. You need to be the best at a lot of things, in fact, almost everything. You have to be the best-looking person in the room, the most knowledgeable, the most charismatic, the most hardworking, and also the luckiest. It has to be a mix of many things. You can’t just believe that giving the best audition will get you the part. There are so many other factors involved. Earlier, I believed that if you're talented, you’ll get opportunities and succeed. But I’ve learned that’s not how it works anymore. With the kind of competition there is today, you have to be really, really good to make it. At least I’m glad that I’ve understood this now, even if it’s a harsh truth. Coming to my biggest regret in my acting career, I regret saying no to a lot of projects. I’ve turned down many auditions and roles because I had a certain image in my mind. I was choosy about the kind of roles and projects I wanted to be part of. I believed that, being a good actor, I should wait for the perfect role. But as I said, my learning and regret are connected. I now feel I should have taken up those smaller roles, even the ones that weren’t as interesting. I didn’t realise that the industry would enter such a lull phase. Trends keep changing. I was still stuck on the earlier belief that big breaks are given to outsiders and that you just have to wait patiently. But looking at the current scenario, I now understand that it’s all about how you crawl your way up. The bigger the brand you work with, the more visible you are – and that gets you more work. So now, I’ve started saying yes to almost everything that comes my way. I just wish I had made this shift 4-5 years ago. Maybe if I had, I’d be getting better and more prominent roles by now.

Honestly, I support Harsh bhai on this. It was a bit of a letdown for me, too. I didn’t expect it because Mawra was amazing to work with. She was my favourite person on set. I felt like she was an elder sister to me, and she saw me as a younger brother. We shared a special bond. So when I heard about everything that happened, I felt quite disappointed. I won’t lie — I was shocked.

- Shaan Groverr on the Mawra Hocane controversy of 'Sanam Teri Kasam'

Q. Even today, what is the biggest challenge that comes to you as an actor? Is it getting work, or is it dealing with people who give work?

As an actor, when you choose this profession, you already know that it comes with its own set of challenges, problems, and struggles. Every actor will probably tell you about them, from not being financially stable for a long time, to facing money problems, to dealing with rejections and failures almost every day. But even then, you have to keep going and continue believing in yourself. Dealing with people is not really a problem for me because I’m quite good at it. I manage to please others and also stay true to myself because my belief system is strong. But dealing with failures is the real challenge. Even though I’ve been lucky to get a lot of work, not everything works out. There are projects I’ve had high hopes for, but they didn’t turn out the way I expected. Staying alone in a city, far from your family, is probably the toughest part. Sometimes I wonder because I was good at studies too, that maybe I could have done something else. But acting has been my passion since I was five years old, so I have no regrets. Still, these thoughts do come sometimes. One of the biggest internal struggles I face is not getting the roles or projects that I feel I deserve. There are so many things going on, and often I feel like I could do a much better job than the person who is playing that part, but I still don’t get the opportunity. That’s tough, especially when you know your potential and talent. And of course, time keeps moving. You won’t look or be the same five or ten years from now. I’ve met some good people in this industry, and I’ve also come across some bad ones. But that’s how it is in every field.

But yes, for me, the two biggest challenges are. For me, the biggest challenges are: Facing failures regularly and still staying focused and strong and not getting the kind of work that I feel I truly deserve, and still keeping hope that one day, I will.