Sayantani Ghosh on her two-decade-long career: I have always strived to stay relevant

After portraying the antagonist Simsim in Ali Baba: Dastaan-e-Kabul, Sayantani Ghosh is back with yet another powerful negative character in Dahej Dasi. She says, “I gravitate towards roles pivotal to the narrative, and this one, too, drives the story ahead.”
Adapting to the evolving entertainment landscape has been crucial to the actress’s two-decade-long relevance in the industry.She shares, “I have witnessed the transition from TV being at its peak with K-dramas to the emergence of OTT, the wave of social media, and social media stars and actors being finalised based on their social media followers. Having seen it all, I have always strived to stay relevant to current times.”
Navigating through highs and lows, Sayantani’s journey has seen its share of challenges. After achieving success with Naaginn, she encountered a period of no work. Reflecting on this phase, she says, “My struggle story hasn’t been about bagging my first opportunity, and a successful stint with Naaginn. However, it was followed by a year of no work. During that period, the norm was that after playing the lead in a prominent show, one needed downtime for that image to wear off, making it easier for the audience to accept you in a new role. With offers not materialising and sustaining myself becoming a priority, I had no choice but to sell my first house, a difficult decision for me. Nowadays, actors don’t have to face extended downtime and can seamlessly transition from one project to another.”

Rather than succumbing to the pressure, Sayantani kept working hard. She says, “I am glad industry people trust me with performance-oriented roles. For me, it’s never been ki heroine hi play karna hai. Despite the phases of social media stardom and other phenomena, ultimately, if you aspire to be an actor, it’s crucial to be a good performer. Talent is paramount; as a good actor, opportunities will come your way regardless of the medium.”