Every Rejection Was A Low Point: Jubilee's Sukhmanee Lamba Recalls Struggle

Growing up in Delhi, Sukhmanee Lamba dreamt of a career in entertainment after she tapped into her performing skills right from her school days. Lamba, who was last seen in Dharma Productions' 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania' bagged a role in Vikramaditya Motwane's historical drama 'Jubilee'.

Sukhmanee Lamba, who has met with several challenges in not just bagging her first break but also sustaining a career in the Hindi film industry, recently spoke with SheThePeople about her learnings across the years and why certain rejections made her come back stronger.

On initial challenges in the industry

Being a part of the acting industry is not an easy task for women. The challenges Lamba faced throughout her journey also began with her belonging to Delhi. As an outsider, navigating her way into the giant industry was definitely far from easy. "Being from Delhi, it always felt dicey because once it was known that I was from Delhi, the responses I got were, 'Ok, we will call you soon and get back to you', but I never heard from them again," she shares. At the time when Lamba was auditioning to get her first break, she realised that most directors, if not all, preferred offering roles to the residents of Mumbai.

Lamba, who planned on staying in Delhi itself, whilst travelling to Mumbai for work assignments was often advised by her well-wishers to move permanently. From when she started to now, she says, perspectives have changed drastically. "It baffled me initially thinking why is location more important and not talent, and now, on the contrary, there are directors who choose talent over location. COVID definitely played a significant role in transforming the working culture," she adds. With artists finding more work across OTT as well, she says, it's become easier for her too to approach filmmakers who are more welcoming now.

On facing rejections and overcoming them 

In an industry that has a massive number of people auditioning across roles every day, Lamba's journey was no different as a struggling artist. So, what were your lowest points? "Well, initially when I was younger about seven years ago, every rejection felt like a low point because you’re almost there as you are shortlisted, and been talked to and you feel like you are going to make it. You feel you will get the role, and it doesn’t happen and it feels like a massive rejection," she recalls.

The actor who is now garnering praise for her role in Jubilee, took time to accept the path she had chosen and the challenges it surfaced every step of the way.

She decided she wanted to worm for the joy of performing, the same joy she felt when she performed in her growing-up years. "As you grow, you work with people, and continue to work for the joy of performing, then it doesn’t make you feel rejected. I used to feel rejected initially but not anymore because I know that whatever I’m doing, whether it is working with children or I’m on stage or I'm doing a voice-over, or I’m doing an advertisement, till I have work and I am happy with that work and I come back home happy with the sense of pride, I consider it a win-win situation. Now, I've learnt to see the brighter perspectives which eventually helps me to get insights from the failures. I put in the utmost effort to give my hundred percent because that's what I can do on my part, the rest is unprecedented and out of my control."

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