I'm here to find my own audience and create my own path: 'Musafir Cafe' actor Mahima Makwana

I'm here to find my own audience and create my own path: 'Musafir Cafe' actor Mahima Makwana

Mumbai, Mahima Makwana believes every actor eventually has to find their own audience and her latest Netflix series "Musafir Cafe" is another step in a career that she is determined to shape on her own terms.

I'm here to find my own audience and create my own path: 'Musafir Cafe' actor Mahima Makwana

The unpredictability of showbiz world has taught her patience and perseverance, said the actor, who started out as a child actor on daily soaps "Miley Jab Hum Tum" and

"Balika Vadhu" before making the transition to films with Salman Khan's "Antim: The Final Truth" and later to OTT projects such as "Tumse Na Hoo Payega" and "Showtime".

"I feel that if I can do it, everybody can do it. It's important to dream, it's all about believing in yourself. I'll always be grateful to the people who saw that potential in me. At the same time, our industry demands patience and perseverance. It's not an easy industry and there is hardly anything in your control. All you can control are the choices you make from the offers you're given.

Makwana credits "Antim", which featured her alongside Salman and Ayush Sharma, as a turning point in her career. The 2021 movie, directed by Mahesh Manjrekar, marked her Hindi film debut.

"I'll always be grateful for the opportunity that Salman sir and Mahesh Manjrekar sir gave me because I always wanted to see myself on the big screen. And that project changed everything for me, it made me believe in myself.

"When people like them see potential in you, it kind of makes you believe in yourself. 'Antim' opened so many doors for me... 'Showtime' and 'Tumse Na Hoo Payega', happened and every part, every opportunity has given me something or the other in terms of critical acclaim, or people that I've worked with," she said.

In "Musafir Cafe", which is currently streaming on Netflix, Makwana plays Preeti, whose life becomes intertwined with Chander , a man caught between his past and present relationships.

Based on Divya Prakash Dubey's bestselling novel, the series also stars Vedika Pinto. It is created and written by Sharanya Rajgopal and directed by Ruchir Arun.

Makwana said she was instantly drawn to the project because it offered a layered love story at a time when romances are becoming increasingly rare.

"I think both as an audience and as an actor, there is a dearth for love stories. There are not many love stories being made and maybe with 'Musafir Café', there should be more romance and love stories that we should see.

"A love story in itself is such a vast genre, there is so much that you can experience in it and resonate with, whether it is sacrifice, acceptance, or partners mirroring you. There is so much that you learn about yourself. There is so much that was for me to take away from the show, from the characters," she said.

The 26-year-old actor described playing Preeti and working on the project as one of the "most healing, mirroring and cathartic" experiences of her career.

"'Musafir Café' is special because of the way the characters have been written and carved. Sharanya Rajgopal, our writer, has written the show with a lot of tenderness, with a lot of depth.

"It is not going to be all beautiful and simple because as humans, we are complicated, we are complex and such are our love stories and that is what we have tried to create," she said.

Asked about working with Massey, Makwana said she had briefly met the actor during her early television days when they were both part of the popular daily soap "Balika Vadhu".

"Even though we didn't know each other, his growth feels very personal. He comes from television and everything that he's done so far, whether it's films and OTT, I felt that there is somebody who's been putting their heart and soul in what they do. Today, you see him getting the recognition and success he deserves."

Looking ahead, the actor said she will next be seen alongside Tiger Shroff in an upcoming film and also has a project with Dharma Productions in the pipeline.

"I hope to be a part of great scripts and be a part of meaningful projects," Makwana said, adding that she hopes to work with filmmakers such as Imtiaz Ali, Ambrish Verma, and the duo Raj Nidimoru and Krishna DK.

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