‘Often asked if I can converse in Hindi’

Waluscha De Sousa has been facing the camera for decades as a successful model But her transition from modelling to acting has not been easy From making her acting debut with Fan 2016 to her web debut with Crackdown De Sousa is happy to explore distinct roles as she works towards gaining a foothold in the industry In a chat with midday she discusses the highs and lows of showbiz and why she picked up Disney Hotstarrsquos latest series Escaype LiveEdited excerpts from the interviewYour initial journey in showbiz was bumpyMy acting debut was with Fan 2016 Despite it coming from a huge production house and featuring a superstar the audience didnrsquot accept the film Post that the work that came my way didnrsquot excite me The roles usually didnrsquot have anything for me to display as an actor So I took a sabbatical Fortunately the digital space opened up by then I made my OTT debut with Crackdown 2020 I donrsquot think viewers expected me to play such a role I took a gamble and it paid offPicsInstagramPrior to Crackdown it was difficult to stay true to who I am I had my fair share of being told that things are not going to work out for me But all I needed was an opportunity I never shied away from auditioning for roles There were preconceived notions lsquoOh she was a modelrsquo lsquoShe is a gorirsquo and so on They never bothered to ask me where I was born and brought up Sometimes I walk into a meeting and they ask me if I can converse in Hindi Fighting these preconceived notions is exhaustingDo you feel the offers that came to you until Crackdown focused only on glamour100 per cent The roles were all about being glamorous or someonersquos arm candy I knew what I had to offer as an actor I have to thank Apoorva Lakhia director for taking that chance with me and giving me Garima Kalra her character in Crackdown which displayed my potentialHow did Escaype Live happenI was aware that casting for the social thriller was going on Director Siddharth Kumar Tewary called me for the narration It was a new concept tackling a scenario we are all facing in our relationship with social media My character Gia Bose is someone who calls the shots and is a woman in a manrsquos world I wanted to play someone in charge which is so unlike me in real life I am quiet and reserved but it was nice to call the shots on the set At one point my costars asked me if I am going to keep ordering them around even when the cameras arenrsquot rollingHow is your relationship with social mediaI am a private person I donrsquot have a social media game and donrsquot think much when Irsquom putting out a post They are usually related to my work There are actors who are good at juggling acting and being active on social media But I want to demarcate whether I am an influencer or an actor I prefer to stay relevant with my work rather than my social media postsDo you feel there should be an age restriction for appsA lot of apps have an age restriction but there needs to be a better distinction than age In the past three years our relationship with social media has intensified There was nothing else to do besides be online during the lockdown The unfortunate part is even schools went online Whether you liked it or not your child had to have a phone and laptop I remember calling my grandmother on Zoom something she has never done in her lifeAlso Read Tips Music amp Prerna V Arora presents ldquoBollywood Wala Dancerdquo featuring Waluscha