The journey from Stockholm to Bollywood: Elli Avram

Greek-origin actress Elli Avram, who made her Bollywood debut with Mickey Virus, has also been a part of Bigg Boss Season 7. Ellie has also worked with Kapil Sharma in the film 'Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon'. Along with Bollywood, Ellie has also worked in South films. With his talent, Ellie has proved that if you work hard, anything is possible.

How was your experience in Bigg Boss?

My experience was wonderful! Bigg Boss will always be so close to my heart, not only because of the friends I made inside the house, and of Salman being so kind, but for the love and acceptance I received from India and Indians all over the World! It’s something I could have never even dreamt of happening. In fact, I just came back from Dubai and to date, people see me with happiness saying they’ve been following me since season 7 of Bigg Boss and expressing their love for my journey. It’s as if I have one big family out there cheering for me, and that is something I’m extremely grateful for and where words will also not be enough to express what it means to me. From aunties hugging me, to now grown-up guys telling me how they used to vote for me back then hehe! I really don’t think I’d be sitting here answering these questions today if it wasn’t for my participation in Bigg Boss 7 as my first film Mickey Virus was releasing! Malviya Nagar ke James Bond dialogue literally became a famous one!!

Who is your favorite colleague in the industry?

Aamir Khan is the kindest colleague and friend in the industry.

Your upcoming projects? Role in Ganpath?

I played a bimbette in Ganpath with dramatic futuristic looks, it was something new that I tried, and enjoyed the process. But I’m really looking forward to showing my role and looking in my next south film! It’s again a role I’m doing for the very first time and it was a challenge to get into the character! Stay tuned because you don’t want to miss this one!

Your favorite actor and actress in Bollywood?

Shahrukh Khan and if not myself then I’ll say I really like Sanya Malhotra!

Your dream role?

Since Devdas is the first Bollywood movie I watched, and that stole my heart, I’ll have to say, to play a role in a Sanjay Leela Bhansali period drama film. My soul can rest peacefully after that!

What keeps you inspired? And do you go-to movies?

My big fat Greek wedding because it reminds me of my Greek upbringing! And for many years living alone in India it used to be the animated film Ratatouille! For some reason every time I watched it, it always gave me a lot of warmth.

Fav cheat meal?

Pizza and lots of masala chai with sugar! Hehe

Favorite city in India?

Mumbai meri jaan!!

When did you decide to become an actress and why did you choose Bollywood instead of any international cinema industry?

I fell in love with Bollywood as a five-year-old as I was standing in front of the Swedish television and they were showing different glimpses of Bollywood songs! The two things I remember clearly were, one bus was standing still and there was one guy with many girls on top of it standing in a line doing dance steps, and then there was a glimpse of a song in a big ballroom with girls twirling in lehengas full of glitter!!! I was in love! That was the moment Bollywood came into my mind, heart and soul. From that day onwards whenever I would see anything regarding India and Bollywood I would light up like a child in a candy store. That’s how much love I’ve had for India and Bollywood since my childhood. As a young teenager, I got to watch Devdas, again on Swedish television. It was the first complete Bollywood movie I watched and that was the moment I made up my mind saying, I don’t know how, but I do know this is what I want to do in life! I want to become a Bollywood actress in India! And since that Saturday morning, I clearly started the process of manifesting this wild big dream of mine.

Today I’ve completed 10 years in the Indian film industry, and I’m so grateful to not only my fans and supporters but to the ones in the industry who have seen my talent and potential and given me opportunities to showcase it. My biggest thank you is to my first director Saurabh Verma for believing in me and seeing me as his Heroine Kamayani, in Mickey Virus.

How did you land the role in Mickey Virus?

In all my interviews I always mention photographer Jitu Salvani because I hold a lot of gratitude to him for recommending my name to Saurabh Verma, the director of Mickey Virus. It’s important to remember the people who have helped you, even if it was a matter of just suggesting your name. I had done a Catalog shoot for a big Indian brand with Jitu Salvani, and he was really impressed with how I looked so Indian and knew the Indian poses for a saree. He later on asked if I had come to India for modeling or acting to which I answered, I’ve come here to act. Two months later I had just come back to India after celebrating my father's birthday back home in Sweden, and I received a call from Jitu saying he’d recommended my name to a director, thinking it was a part I would fit. It was all divine timing I’d like to say, with me being back in the country at the right time. I did two auditions and worked really hard on my dialogues. Didn’t sleep the entire night just to make sure I remembered my lines! I still remember that night to date, because it was so hard to remember four pages of dialogue in a language that was pretty much alien to me, but I pushed through and learned them all! Hard work and self-belief really do pay off by the end of the day.

From Stockholm to Bollywood, how has this journey been? And how did it happen?

It happened purely by will and determination! Like we say, if there’s a will, there will be a way! As simple as that, this is how life is, and it doesn’t mean the way will be easy, but certainly there will be a way! So the journey has been a complete roller coaster! Up and down, I’ve just stuck around, working hard on my own, and never given up on my integrity and my talent. Even though I was launched as a heroine in my first film, it’s been a struggle to constantly prove that I’m here to be a serious actress and not the girl who only does the special dance numbers. But as an outsider especially a foreigner, people tend to think the opposite, I came to understand. And all I knew was, growing up watching Bollywood films, the heroines dance as well. Today I’m so grateful to see that filmmakers and audiences have acknowledged me as an actress, and I’m getting performance-oriented roles, where I’m getting to play around with different looks, and accents.

So the right word to describe it all is pure gratitude to myself for never giving up, and to all my directors and producers who have given me a chance to prove myself. And to every Angel who’s come my way and helped me, be it in a small or big way! I remember each and every person who has been kind to me from the first day I landed in India.

Your message to your fans?

A message to my fans from all around the World will be, thank you for being part of my journey and for giving me light in what I put my heart, mind, and soul to. The only thing I wish to give you all is belief! Believe in yourself and in your dreams and don’t let anyone in this World tell you, you’re not good enough and you can’t achieve it, because that will be a lie! Look at me as an example and keep moving forward with sincerity, passion, and self-belief of: Yes I can do it too