Scene Stealers

Somen Mishra on revitalising Dharma with new voices, stories: 'I told all struggling artists I had a foot in the door'

Somen Mishra is the Head of Creative Development (Script) at Karan Johar's Dharma Productions and the Head of Fiction at Dharmatic, the digital arm.

Neena Gupta, at her busiest and best at 60, talks receiving offers — and her hunger for good roles

Neena Gupta discusses how she struggles to be politically correct because Bollywood does not always reward honesty, and her take on the Saand Ki Aankh ageism controversy.

Inside Abish Mathew's mind: Comedian reflects on early days of Indian standup, discovering his voice

Abish Mathew claims that by the virtue of being an experienced stand-up comedian, he gets the room he wants to perform in, but often ends up taking his career for granted.

Tanuja Chandra: 'If there are 150 Hindi films in a year, not even 50 are led by female actors'

As part of our #SceneStealers series, writer and filmmaker Tanuja Chandra discusses her brand of women-led cinema, two decades in the making, and why change — although on its way — has been slow to set in

Rasika Dugal on the 'long and short' of it: How the actress moved from small projects to big roles, while getting her due

Over the last year, Rasika Dugal has received rave reviews for her performances in Manto, Lust Stories, Once Again, Hamid, Made In Heaven and Delhi Crime. Rasika confesses, however, that she struggles with choosing which project to take up next because prioritising and strategising are not her strong suits.

Writer-actor Dhruv Sehgal on his struggle to hold on to the Little Things that ground and shape his life

Dhruv Sehgal, the creator of Netflix's Little Things, says it is becoming increasingly difficult to retain his fascination for learning as he gets busier in life.

Shefali Shah on playing different shades of an 'everywoman', and using silence as her weapon of choice

Shefali Shah explains why silence has been a leitmotif in all her performances, from Dil Dhadakne Do to Delhi Crime, and how it has helped her to scream out loud.

Gulshan Devaiah on finding the Duryodhana in every character, and playing each villain differently

Gulshan Devaiah talks about why he seeks Duryodhana in every character he plays, and how he prepared for his quirky double role in Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota.

Sayani Gupta on being an actor sans vanity, and the importance of finding the rhythm for every character

In an interview with Firstpost, Sayani Gupta talks about how she, given her origin from a musically-inclined family, finds a "rhythm" for every character, even though her entry point is the character's spine.

Varun Grover on adapting Sacred Games, and why pro-establishment comedy is against Indian culture

Varun Grover talks about the 'existential crisis' in Sacred Games, and why the comedians today should not 'waste' their voices through pro-establishment comedy.