Interview: Not Acting, Here's What Mrunal Thakur's First Career Aspirations Were

Mrunal Thakur in a conversation with SheThePeople reveals becoming an actor wasn't always on the cards for her. As a girl, she, as well as her parents, had a different aspiration as to what she would grow up to do. Call it a spot of serendipity, life came full circle for Thakur when she lived her girlhood dreams through her role in the recently released Toofaan. 

Like her character Dr Ananya in Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's sports drama, Thakur wanted to don the doctor's coat and help people. "I always dreamt of becoming a doctor; so did my parents, for me. Growing up, I felt I would become a dentist," Thakur tells us.

"Now dentist naa sahi, Ananya in the film is working at a government hospital and her job is to heal the wounds people are suffering. Not just on the body, but also internally," she adds.

Toofaan, which stars Farhan Akhtar in the lead as Aziz Ali, a small-time crook turned national boxer, sees Thakur assume the role of Ananya - the pillar consistently standing beside Ali, the catalyst pushing him towards his dreams while fulfilling hers. How Toofaan promised representation of supportive partnerships.

Thakur called this a "big achievement" for her personally.

Catch Thakur in conversation with SheThePeople &t=60s">here: 

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All You Should Know About Mrunal Thakur's Career

Acting for her, Mrunal Thakur says, is now "not just her passion but her life."

Thakur's tryst with acting started with the small screen, where the 28-year-old remained a popular face for several years. Even as she was attending college, Thakur signed on for a television role as the lead in Mujhse Kuchh Kehti... Hai Khamoshiyaan in 2012.

Her most prominent appearance came in ZEE TV's daily soap Kumkum Bhagya where she played the character of Bulbul for two years.

Thakur's film career began with Vitti Dandu, a Marathi drama in 2014. She made her Hindi debut with Love Sonia in the lead as a woman pushed into and navigating the sex trade. The film was received well and picked accolades internationally.

On being asked whether she is drawn more towards realistic roles or extravagant ones, Thakur tells us, "The audience's taste is changing. They like watching things which are real."

After Toofaan, Thakur is gearing up for another sports drama Jersey, in which she is starring opposite Shahid Kapoor.