Building role with blood, sweat and fire

Saiyami Kher

If there is something that Saiyami Kher seeks in every role, it is strength. It reflects in her last performance as a differently-abled cricketer in Ghoomer (2023), as well as in her next, Agni. Rahul Dholakia's directorial venture, also starring Pratik Gandhi and Divyenndu, sees her play a fire-fighter. "Agni has been special. I have already played a sportsperson, who, despite losing a hand, remains undeterred and showcases resilience. Similarly, the often overlooked lady fire-fighter serves as a poignant reminder of the unrecognised heroes among us," she says.

Agni was wrapped up in late 2022

Bringing the stressful lives of fire-fighters on screen was hard. Harder still were the physical demands of the role. Kher says she performed the stunts without the aid of body doubles. "Essaying this part has been both physically and emotionally demanding. I've always been drawn to roles that take everything out of me because they give me so much in return."

In her nine-year career, the actor has collaborated with several prominent directors - from Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra to Anurag Kashyap, from Neeraj Pandey to Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. She views her journey as one that not only helped her find like-minded collaborators, but also gave her diverse roles that she could sink her teeth into. She states, "My attempt has always been to lose myself in the character. When someone says, ‘Oh wow, the Ghoomer girl is the same as from Choked,' I take it as a compliment. As an actor, it feels great not to find the same person in every character."