PremiumSrishti Dixit on The Great Indian Family: I was happy to bask in the glory of my co-stars | Exclusive
Content creator-actor Srishti Dixit is thrilled to star alongside actors like Vicky Kaushal, Manoj Pahwa, and Kumud Mishra in her debut feature film, Yash Raj Films’ The Great Indian Family
Last Updated: 06.56 PM, Sep 12, 2023
Srishti Dixit is the latest content creator who has turned actor. A popular face on Instagram, Srishti has been able to connect with her audiences with her realistic portrayal of middle-class Indian lives. She even talks about her family from time to time in the videos that she creates, always ensuring that she has her audiences in splits.
It was this very skill that got her noticed by director Vijay Krishna Acharya, who eventually cast her to play Vicky Kaushal’s sister in the soon-to-be-released comedy film, The Great Indian Family.
As the trailer for the film released earlier today, we spoke to Srishti about the film and her experience of being among actors like Vicky Kaushal, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Alka Amin, Yashpal Sharma, and Sadiya Siddiqui. Excerpts from an interview…
After a series and miniseries, it's a movie, and that too a Yash Raj Films (YRF) production. You seem to have arrived…
I hope that I have arrived. I have been actively auditioning for roles, and I have appeared in series like Staffroom and Unreal. I shot for this film three years ago, and it is finally releasing, so all the hard work that I have done over the years is culminating in me reaching this point.
How did The Great Indian Family happen to you?
This movie happened to me because of my presence on Instagram. During the lockdown, I was actively making content, and Vijay Krishna Acharya, the director of the film, had watched some of it. He thought of me for the role of Vicky’s sister. YRF asked me to audition for the part, and they liked it. The director then called me to tell me that he had full faith that I would do a great job. Soon after, I found myself on the set of the film.
Give us a glimpse into your character in the film…
I play Goonja, Vicky’s sister, in the film. They are part of a joint family who live in the fictional town of Balrampur; the family does bhajans and keertans there. The film has a good message, and we are trying to unite all Indians with one feeling: that regardless of our religion or faith, we can all come together as Indians.
What is interesting is that my character’s name is that of the director’s own sister. It’s not a big part, and to be honest, I wasn’t ready for a very big role. Even though it’s a small part, I am part of an amazing, small family. I was happy to bask in the glory of my amazing co-stars and just share screen space with them.
How unnerving was it to be on a film set, working alongside celebrated actors like Vicky Kaushal, Manoj Pahwa, and Kumud Mishra?
This film was my training to become an actor. Just watching how the other actors approached a character and the kind of questions they asked during prep was amazing. I don’t have any formal training in acting, and whatever I have done so far has been very intuitive. So, seeing the other actors challenge themselves and build their characters was awesome. Some really incredible actors are a part of this movie, and I got to spend time with most of them. I was happy just watching them exist alongside them.
Actors often talk about how much fun they have on the sets of their films. But is that true? Do you really end up having fun on a set?
We actually do. During shoots, there are breaks in the middle when they need to set up a scene. During that time, the actors don’t always go back to their vanity vans. People stay on set, and we hang out together, talk, eat, and make jokes. You even get to see your co-actors prep for their parts, and you get to experience the entire process of filmmaking.
You've shared a lot of bits about your family on Instagram. How much of that is reflected in the film?
I feel like every family is similar. You have a specific dynamic with each family member; some of them are close to you, while others are completely different from you. Such dynamics are there in the movie as well. The film focuses on the family unit and all the drama, tears, and hasi mazak that they go through when they get together.
Comedy as a genre feels like home to you, and your debut film also falls into the same genre. What kind of films/series do you hope to be a part of in the future?
As an actor, I would like to play all sorts of characters. Yes, I make a lot of comic content, and it does seem that it comes naturally to me, but I feel that it is the hardest thing to do. To me, making people laugh is very difficult. Since there is a prior expectation from me that this is what I do, I was very nervous doing comic scenes in The Great Indian Family.
But I want casting agents to call me for a variety of roles. When you are an actor, you want to show a range of emotions. In Unreal, my role is not an out-and-out comic one; it’s slightly negative. Even in this movie, I show a whole spectrum of human emotions. I don’t want to be typecast.
The Great Indian Family is produced by Yash Raj Films and directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya. It stars Vicky Kaushal, Manushi Chhillar, Manoj Pahwa, Kumud Mishra, Yashpal Sharma, Sadiya Siddiqui, Alka Amin, Srishti Dixit, Bhuvan Arora, Aasif Khan, Ashutosh Ujjwal, and Bharti Perwani. The film will be released in theatres on September 22.