Sumbul Touqeer: After Bigg Boss, I don’t trust anyone easily

At 19 Sumbul Touqeer already has 21 shows behind her Not many can boast such success at such a young age But Touqeer who began her career at the age of 10 knew that acting was her calling She became a household name when she played the lead in Imlie in 2020 As she headlines KavyamdashEk Jazbaa Ek Junoon the actor talks about how the industry and its experiences have helped her grow as an artiste and as a human beingEdited excerpts from the interviewAfter gaining fame as Sumbul you changed your name to Eza in between WhyI had tried to adopt the name but didnrsquot go ahead with it because I had done a lot of work as Sumbul No one would be able to figure that it is the same personYou started your journey as a child actor on television then starred in Article 15 Why didnrsquot you take the leap to films after thatI am hungry for work Today if someone asks me if I want to do films I will say yes Why wouldnrsquot anyone want to do films However I donrsquot feel the need to restrict myself to one mediumWhat kind of growth have you seen in yourself as an actor over the yearsI watch movies belonging to different genres I read a lot of novels and imbibe some traits of these characters I make it a point to watch one film every day I consider it my research I see how people play other characters and I am not talking about the main leads The supporting actors lend more to the varietyDid your dad help you hone your craftWhen we came to Mumbai he didnrsquot know anything about the TV industry My sister and I began acting and that is how we all started understanding the business We discuss my career decisions together We have creative differences sometimes but we respect each otherrsquos opinions I donrsquot talk where my opinions are not respected Thatrsquos why I was so quiet on Bigg Boss 16 laughsWhat did you learn from your Bigg Boss experienceI learnt to figure out whether a fight or a person is worth exerting your energy on Sometimes you donrsquot have to respect everybody It should only be given to those who deserve it Also now I donrsquot trust anyone easilyDid you develop trust issuesMajorly I want to feel safe and secure Thatrsquos why nobody knows anything about me nowHow important is it to be streetsmart in the glamour worldIt is crucial Sadly I am not streetsmart at all but I am learning I have become quite calm and have adopted an Idonrsquotcare attitude For example I donrsquot take trolls seriously I believe they have too much free time or are jealous of my success The day we make it a rule that every tweet or comment would cost R1 they will stop However my family is my top priorityOne trait from any of your characters that stuck with youKavya her character in KavyamdashEk Jazbaa Ek Junoon is a very passionate woman which is commendable When I essay the role I can feel her passion to be an IAS officer When I started acting I harboured a similar passion Even though I am a good dancer and could have become a choreographer I wanted to act and do nothing elseWhat kind of research did you do to play an IAS officer authenticallyI watched interviews of IAS officers to notice how they talk and walk They have a powerful personality and demeanour they own the room