Right in the ACT

Gurnaaz Kaur

Be it music videos or movies, Angela Krislinzki believes each platform gives a chance to explore and get better at the craft. Born and brought up in Mumbai, this actress of Indo-Polish origin has done some films down south and made her debut in Bollywood this year with Vikram Bhat’s 1921. 

These days she is busy shooting for a video with Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala. She may not be well-versed with the language, but it’s not her first time with Punjabi music or being in Chandigarh. “I’ve done music videos before and a Punjabi one with rapper Raftar. This city is very close to my heart for many reasons. The greenery, the cleanliness, wide roads with not so much traffic — these are attractions for someone from Mumbai. People too are quite warm and helpful here,” Angela says.

First take

An MA in Psychology with no background in acting... what made her pursue this career? “I was a quiet, studious child in school but college opened me to extra-curricular activities. I participated in a fashion show and won it. That was the turning point for me. My prize was a free portfolio shoot. It became my entry to the ad world and I’ve done over 50 commercials so far. Soon I got the offer for a film in Telugu and here I am today, trying my very best to be good at my work,” she smiles. 

Angela was also seen on Star Plus India’s Next Superstars, a reality show judged by Karan Johar and Rohit Shetty. Being passionate about acting is one thing and getting work an altogether different. Her parents too had apprehensions initially. 

“In the beginning, my mother was not very supportive of my decision to pursue acting. She wanted me to concentrate on my education and do something around that. It took me a lot to convince her. I remember, once she saw a big hoarding with my picture in Bandra and had tears in her eyes. It was a proud moment for her and more of a green signal for me. But that wasn’t all. While modelling is all about looking glamorous, acting is about playing the character well and I’ve worked really hard to come this far in the field of acting.”

From not knowing what next to this day, Angela has had a long journey but she says it has been a fruitful one. These days she is working for a web series on Netflix and has signed a contract with Fox Entertainment. Way to go!

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