Kriti Sanon: I don't think twice before blocking people

Kriti Sanon on her coping mechanism, friend-zoning potential suitors and how sometimes films choose actors

You bowed out of two big films - Singh Is Bliing with Akshay Kumar and Lucknow Central with Farhan Akhtar. Amy Jackson and Diana Penty took on the roles while you moved on to Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's Bareilly Ki Barfi...
No actor ever opts out of a film if it's doable and schedules can be worked out. Leaving is always the last option. Actors choose films but every film has its own destiny and it chooses you. Sometimes, you end up signing a film at the last minute and there are times when a film you've signed takes too long to roll and you cannot do it anymore. I believe whatever happens, happens for good and I'm not let down by any of my decisions.

Your last two releases, Dilwale and Raabta, but both didn't quite manage to live up to expectations at the box-office. Do you think this has directly impacted the kind of opportunities coming your way?


Yes, sometimes the behaviour of some people can change towards you after a Friday, but I'm not focussing on that. I strongly believe that I will become stagnant the day I sit back and feel satisfied about my career.

What is your coping mechanism for setbacks?
When I'm feeling low, pressurised or anxious, and feel like I need pampering, my extremely supportive family comes to the rescue. Sometimes, I sit with friends who're not from the film industry because I feel the need to not discuss work. Taking holidays refreshes my mind, makes me a better actor too.

A lot is riding on the success of the Junglee Pictures and BR Chopra production, Bareilly Ki Barfi, which also features Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurrana. Do you think the audience will connect with your character Bitti? How similar are you to her?
I've led a protective, middle-class life. I was studious and never went on any adventures before I entered the film industry. I relate to Bitti in thought but not in her actions. She's more tomboyish than me. I cannot pretend to be someone I am not; my Dilliyat invariably comes out! But both of us constantly question cultural norms. Bitti has a line in the film, "Hum ladka hote toh problem hota kya", which resonates with me. Both Bitti and I don't follow the whole "acchi ladkiyan yeh nahi karti" diktat. However, Bitti has absolutely no filter, while I do. I'm straight forward but practical.

What are the filters you speak of?
On social media, people make all sorts of nasty comments on your personal and professional life and if you're reading through it, it's bound to affect you. So I don't think twice before blocking people, and I do it quite often. My filters block out all negativity.

In Bareilly Ki Barfi, Bitti unwittingly friend-zones Chirag...
I'm sure girls do it all the time in real life too! There's always this guy in every group who has feelings for you but you just don't feel the same way. My advice in such cases is, don't go looking for love. It's got to find you. As women, we want to be treated in a certain way and sometimes there's a really sweet guy who really loves you and you end up feeling something too. That's a trap, don't fall for it. Those relationships never last.