Full of celebrities, activists, and influencers galore, isn’t social media a great place to turn to? And if you’re looking for some behind the scenes of these artists, we’ve got you covered. Meet Artist Surya Ganapathy, beautiful inside-out, carries the passion with a purpose. The next-door girl who wants to make a difference. The girl who challenges stereotypes and questions the status quo. Actress not heroine. Artist, not a model.
The biggest guiding source for me to make the right decisions over the years, has been my failures. My failures taught me everything i needed to know.
In Conversation with Surya:
People often look at artists and think their life is as neat and Pinterest-worthy as their content. Reality check: Life behind Insta-glam image of a model/artist?
Ha! As flattering as it is to hear that, it also comes with a lot of unrealistic expectations from people to look perfect at all times, long hours of hard work standing in front of the camera, the flashing lights and high heels, heavily decked, it is not always easy and most importantly the effort from various people that goes into the process, right from the photographer to the Make-up artist/hairstylist, it is teamwork at the end of the day, so I thank them sincerely. However, off-camera, life is as normal as anybody else for me. There are really highs and really low’s that I face but I try to keep things simple and deal with life one day at a time. Only grateful for this journey and for all the love I get. So, a pretty good life overall, I would say 🙂
A quote that you deeply resonate with?
Wings to show, what you can become, roots to remind where you’re from. I’m inspired by people who’ve made it in their life from being nowhere. It makes me want to do better, be better at life and not give up or sulk at failures, rather get up and get going with grace and poise.
Your favorite destination?
There are so many places in my bucket list which I haven’t yet been to, but of the places I went to, BALI is one place which struck a chord with me. Everything about that place felt close to nature for me, right from the dramatic clouds to the Balinese festival, it was raw and far from the civilized West and the developing East. it felt surreal. Bali stands my favorite. However, my top dream destination would Santorini.
Your favorite cuisine?
Got to be my favorite question. LOL. I’m an ardent foodie but being a vegetarian, your options are limited. As much as I’d like to say Italian, home is where the heart is, So I’d say South Indian, all day, any day!
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The recent TV show that you binge-watched?
It has to be “THE CROWN” I mean, what a show! Currently binge-watching the 3rd season. Loved Claire Foy’s elegance in portraying the Queen. Hoping Olivia Colman can live up to it as well!
The most interesting thing about you?
I would say my sense of humor?! or at-least that’s what I’ve heard from my friends or maybe they were just being nice to me. I can’t tell. Lol.
Did you always want to be a model?
I did my Engineering and was working at E-publishing firm when modeling happened to me. I was always curious to experiment with new things beyond the mundane 9 to 5 job that I had. One such experiment was a short film I did for a friend. Seeing me act in that, another friend of mine told me that I should give modeling a shot quoting that I had a pleasant smile and a photogenic face to back that up. I ended up auditioning for a Toothpaste brand and got selected. that was the starting point for me.
However, my first real-time exposure to the world of Cinema was through Mani Ratnam films. Then came modeling where acting became a part and parcel of my day’s work. It wasn’t loved at first, but I could see myself slowly yet steadily loving the process as it made me feel like I had a voice. However, I was still not inclined towards movies for a long duration, but the passion kept growing every year and then it became a natural progression for me. Exactly when I made up my mind, this film came to me. I got through the screen test and was more than glad to grab the role. Did not plan, but destined to get here, I believe.
What does it take to develop the stamina needed for longevity?
Having clarity is a must to survive in this industry as you are constantly surrounded by noise, by opinions, by comparisons, by criticisms. This industry is not for the faint heart, so it is important you know yourself well and have what it takes to sail through all the storm. I also keep working on building my confidence beyond my identity by reading, learning something new every day to make sure I don’t base my self-worth around the validation I get from people. Beyond all this, self-belief and hard work is the mantra. You focus only on what you want, work hard for it and detach, you will reap the benefits. As simple and as difficult as that.
How important is being in a position of being an influencer like yourself? What is the impact that you’d like to have on people?
I feel my purpose lies in telling people that it doesn’t matter how small or big you are. If you have a will to make a difference, you can. You don’t need a platform to voice and stand for what’s right. Start wherever you are, do it anyway, you WILL make a difference, you WILL be heard.
Are you a self-made person?
Yes, I’m a self-made, independent woman as I have been working ever since I was 19 yrs old. The biggest guiding source for me to make the right decisions over the years, has been my failures. My failures taught me everything I needed to know. Every time I failed, I learned a valuable lesson and ended up not doing the same mistake again. So I’d humbly say it was my failures that shaped me. 🙂
Would you say your road has been challenging so far?
I would say, it has been a good journey so far but I wouldn’t take away all the hard work that is gone into it. There is a long journey ahead. The biggest challenge so far has been learning to stay calm and not react. To not let your inner-voice get jaded by all the external influences. Meditation has been my go-to source for this. It helps me stay grounded and calm at all times. So be it the highs or the lows don’t affect me beyond a point. Also, the attitude you hold while things haven’t fallen into place is important. We tend to be cynical, but I’ve learned to trust the process and stay positive.
Paired with everything you’ve learned so far and manifested professionally — What do you envision for the future?
Now that I just got done with my first film in Tamil, moving forward, I want to be known as a PAN Indian actor, known for my conviction and authenticity, pulling off any role irrespective of the cultural, regional differences; an artist not a heroine. I want to be relatable, want to walk in the shoes of some amazing women, tell their stories on screen to the world and maybe touch, turn around one life? Because I think films are a very big medium of influence in our society and I want to be a good role model at that.
Know a great story or want to tell us your own?
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