After being part of multiple acting projects, Samyukta Singh moved to the hospitality sector sometime back. However, the actress says that she is open to coming back if the role and project offered to her is worth her while.
“I haven’t thought about it actually because I have been busy with the hospitality industry but acting is always in an actor’s blood. So, I guess if I do get a very interesting character to play, I think I will be open to the idea. Acting has always been part of me since I have been a kid. So, I don’t know how I will feel getting back into acting after so many years. I have not thought about it but I think I might just give it a try if something really good comes up,” she says.
The actress is coming from a family with roots deeply entrenched in the industry. “My father Ajit Singh was the first iconic pop star of India. He was very loved and connected to the film industry. My mom Gittanjali Singh used to be a top model and they were friends with many industry people. I have done a lot of ad films like Sunsilk, Lakmé, Breeze, Boroplus, Honda Dio, Munch, Pepsodent, Smyle etc. And lots of music videos too – Solva Saal by Sukh Dev, Saara Zamana by Akbar Sami, Hotoda mix by Bali Bhrambhatt, Chodo Sanam and many more,” she says.
Talking about her role in his debut film Salaami when she was just 13 years old, she says, “We had gone for one of Shahrukh Mirza uncle’s movie trials, he was my dad’s school friend. He saw me and told my dad, ‘That’s my Gulfaam,’. At that time Salaami was to be called Gulfaam. My mom refused because I was too small but I hated studying so I threw a tantrum and I was very stubborn. I finally got my way on the condition that I will finish school after the movie.”
Besides Salaami, Samyukta was part of other projects as well. “I did Salaami and a Telugu film around the same time called Laati,” she says, adding, “In TV, I’ve done Do Lafzon Ki Kahani, starring Helen aunty, Jas Arora and Aman Varma. It was directed by Khushan Nandi. I also did Zindagi Milke Bitayenge, which was a remake of Satte Pe Satta, Directed by Daddu Sippy (Raj Sippy) and was produced by Cinevista, Badalte Rishtey was directed by Prem Soni and produced by Farida Jalal.”
Talking about her TV career, she adds, “The first one was offered to me by Prem Soni. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do TV back then as I had just finished my school. With Salaami, I loved the script and the role was too good. The first schedule was in New Zealand and I love travelling so I couldn’t refuse.”
Samyukta says that there is a lot that has changed in the industry. “There are a lot of changes compared to when I did Salaami and now. For my family and friends, I am still part of the industry and because of my father’s connections, I also know a lot of people from the industry. But a lot of things have changed. Firstly, the most important thing is that with OTT and web series, there are a lot of openings for people who have been forgotten. They are coming back with a lot of interesting stuff. The kind of scripts and the kind of roles that are coming out are really very amazing and there are a lot of female-oriented shows that are also there right now to watch. So, it’s a completely different world right now,” she says.
Actress Samyukta Singh has been running a successful Japanese-Korean restaurant called Tsubaki (at Worli, Mumbai), and its food is said to be the best. People who visit once come for it again and again. Well, Samyukta you can get back to acting and balance both worlds.
