Kamal Ghorui
Actress Tejaswini Kolhapure has opened up about the pressures of coming from a well-known film family and constantly being compared to her sister, veteran actor Padmini Kolhapure.Speaking about the expectations that come with such a background, Tejaswini said the visibility may open doors but it also brings immense scrutiny.“People are curious to see what someone from a film family is doing. The media builds them up as well. So yes, it opens doors, but there is a lot of hard work involved,” she told Free Press Journal.She further added that actors from film families often feel the pressure to prove themselves repeatedly.“Eventually, someone who comes from a film family has to prove themselves 100 times more than someone who is just entering the industry. The kind of pressure that one goes through is crazy.”
“Achha, aap Padmini jaisa acting karo”
Recalling some of her early auditions, Tejaswini said certain experiences left her deeply disheartened when casting teams asked her to imitate her sister’s acting style.“When I went for certain auditions, it was so disheartening because a lot of people said, ‘Achha, aap Padmini jaisa acting karo.’ I am me—how can I act like her?” she shared.She admitted that such comparisons made her question why she was being judged against her sister in the first place.“A few auditions went like this and I was so dejected. Why are you comparing me with my sister?”Tejaswini also reflected on how difficult it must be for siblings closer in age to deal with such comparisons.“Thank God she is much older than me. Imagine if siblings have just a two-three year age gap—what they must go through. It is so unfair.”
“So many times I felt like giving up”
The actress also revealed that the constant comparisons affected her confidence and often made her reconsider her journey in acting.“So many times I felt like giving up. That’s why sometimes you see me and sometimes you don’t—I go back into my little shell, wondering whether I should move ahead or not.”Describing the emotional side of the profession, she added, “Actors are very sensitive people.” However, Tejaswini said that over time she has learned not to let comparisons define her.“Over the years, with a lot of self-growth and realisations, I’ve understood that it shouldn’t matter. Nobody should pay attention to the comparisons. I only wish someone had told me this earlier.”
