Actress Ulka Gupta talks about her journey in showbiz; reveals turning down a fairness cream endorsement
Ulka Gupta, who is known for her memorable characters in several shows is best remembered as Manu from Jhansi Ki Rani. The actress has come a long way but her journey in the industry has not been an easy one.
From facing rejections to taking a challenge of working in different mediums, the actress has seen it all. In a recent interview with ETimes TV, the actress revealed how her childhood got impacted because of the rejection she faced for her dark skin tone.
Talking about her journey so far, Ulka shared, “I would thank my father because I’ve been a child actor and also seen my dad who is also an actor going through all seasons of this industry and I’ve myself also gone through it. I have been rejected, and overnight replaced from projects, all of these things have happened to me. I’ve seen the best and the worst. I’ve also waited and taken breaks during projects. I have waited a few years in my career for good roles. I’ve learned how to wait and how to believe something good is out there for you.”
She added, “I don’t want to use the term nepotism, but a lot of people have said to me that it must have been easy for her to bag roles. My dad is also an actor, he goes to auditions and I also go to auditions. You can get a debut till a point but after that, your talent and skill can only take you ahead in life. In my case, I never got a debut. I started giving auditions at the age of 7 and did a few projects here and there but I got my break at the age of 11 which was Jhansi Ki Rani. I made sure I was there whenever I got to know about auditions. Kuch mehnat ka Phal mila Mujhe.”
On turning down a fairness cream endorsement, Ulka said, “I remember there is a skincare brand that is very famous in promoting fairness cream. They got a campaign to me twice and I said no, I am not going to work with you no matter what. You guys have always promoted wrong notions and that impacted my childhood very much. It has taken me time to come out of it. The industry, fans, projects, films, and fans have helped me feel proud about it and embrace it, I want to do this for all the girls. I just want people to understand beauty standards are just a façade, it is just a concept from an overpowering thought.”