Menu
Reflecting on 10 years since her debut with Mirzya, Saiyami Kher looks back at the people, lessons and experiences that shaped her journey, from being dismissed as a newcomer from Nashik to finding her voice as an actor.
As Saiyami Kher completes 10 years in the film industry, the actress looks back at a decade that has been defined not just by the films she has been part of, but by the people she met, the lessons she learnt and the experiences that changed her both personally and professionally.
Saiyami made her acting debut with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Mirzya in 2016, opposite Harshvardhan Kapoor. As the film completes a decade, the actress took to social media to share a deeply personal reflection on her journey from being a reserved, introverted young woman from Nashik with little exposure to the film industry, to finding herself at the centre of headlines and eventually building a career driven by her choice of stories and roles.
Recalling her early days, Saiyami shared how she was written off even before she had begun, with people questioning whether she had what it took to become an actor. She was even told that she was a “villager” and was subjected to unsolicited advice, including being told to date an actor or director to find an easier entry into the industry, or even undergo cosmetic procedures.
However, the actress credits her upbringing and her parents for giving her the confidence to find humour in such experiences rather than allowing them to define her.
She recalled that a turning point came when Adoor Mukerji called her and told her that filmmaker Dilip Shankar would test her. What followed was three months of workshops with Dilip Shankar and Adil Hussain, an experience that she describes as transformative.
Saiyami said that Dilip Shankar’s warmth and gentleness made her realise that good people existed within the industry, while the workshops taught her to embrace her individuality, find truth and honesty in her work and trust that being herself was enough.
Six months later, she was selected for Mirzya. The film changed the trajectory of her life almost overnight, putting her in the headlines and introducing her to a world she had only just begun to understand.
Looking back, Saiyami describes filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra as someone who gave her exactly what she had unknowingly been looking for. She fondly recalls the warmth of Rakeysh and his wife Bharat, who treated her like family, while Rakeysh gave her the freedom to be herself, helped her fall in love with acting and taught her valuable lessons that extended beyond the film set.
For Saiyami, the experience of making Mirzya was also about the relationships she built friendships that have endured for a decade and the opportunity to work with legendary lyricist and writer Gulzar. Over the years, she says, Gulzar saab has given her much more than words, describing him as an “ocean of knowledge and wisdom” whose presence continues to inspire her.
Reflecting on the decade, Saiyami also acknowledged the role her family and friends have played in keeping her grounded, reminding her that there is a whole life beyond the world of films, cameras and fame.
Sharing her thoughts on completing 10 years, Saiyami Kher said, “A decade since I walked onto a film set for the first time. A decade of some of the most life-altering experiences of my life. I was a reserved, introverted 20-something girl from Nashik with barely any exposure to films. I was written off before I had even begun. I was told I was a ‘villager’, that I didn’t have it in me. I was given advice like, ‘Date an actor/director, that’s the easier way in’ and ‘Get a lip job.’ My upbringing and my parents had given me enough security in myself to find humour in grown adults speaking to me like that. I met a whole lot of people with free advice, and rejection pretty much every day.”
She further added, “Until one morning, Adoor Mukerji called and said Dilip Shankar would test me. Something was different this time. Dilip ji’s warmth and gentleness made me realise that good people exist. I spent three months workshopping with him and Adil Hussain, and those three months changed me completely. They taught me to be myself, find truth and honesty in my work, and trust that being myself was enough. Six months later, I was locked for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Mirzya.”
Recalling her experience of working with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Saiyami said, “Rakeysh sir was everything I had unknowingly been seeking. A beautiful human being and a dream to work with. He and Bharat ma’am pampered me like I was their own child. Sir completely spoilt me on set. He gave me the freedom to be myself, made me fall in love with acting and taught me little life lessons every day. Every day on Mirzya felt like a day I wished would never end. I found friendships that have lasted 10 years.”
Speaking about Gulzar saab, she added, “And then there is Gulzar saab. He wrote Mirzya, but over the last 10 years, he has given me so much more than words. He is an ocean of knowledge and wisdom, and I can sit for hours beside that ocean, soaking in whatever he so selflessly gives.”
As she reflects on a decade in an industry where it can be easy to get caught up in the spotlight, Saiyami believes that her family and friends have been her anchor.
“In a world where it is easy to get lost in the flashes, my family and friends have kept me grounded and reminded me there is a whole life outside the frame. Maybe that is what these 10 years have really been about the people, the lessons, the moments that stay long after the lights go off. I have spent these years seeking the good… good people, good stories, good work, good energy. I feel incredibly lucky and grateful for the stories I have got to live and the people I have found along the way,” she said.
While the milestone marks a moment of reflection, Saiyami is clear that she sees it as a beginning rather than an endpoint. She acknowledges that there is still much to learn, explore and discover as an actor.
“I know I have a long way to go as an actor. There is still so much to learn and explore. And that excites me. I still feel the same hunger and nervous excitement I felt on my first day of shoot. I want to keep challenging myself, on and off camera. To be an endurance athlete in both worlds. To keep showing up, one kilometre at a time. Here’s to the road ahead. Here’s to the next 10,” Saiyami concluded.
