“While it is perfectly healthy to want to wait until you are in a committed relationship or married before you have sex, shaming others for not choosing the same path is hurtful” By Team Bollyy 14 Jul 2020 | Updated On 14 Jul 2020 06:19 IST in Latest Trending News & Gossip New Update SURABHI PRABHU tells JYOTHI VENKATESH in this exclusive and bold e mail interview that hard work beats talent when the talent doesn't work hard and her mantra is to keep working hard, as definitely you will reach somewhere. How did you get your break as a model? After finishing my acting course with"Kishore Namit Kapoor Acting Institute" I was looking for acting jobs, but was so confused as one day my plate looked full and the other day it was just the opposite. Movies which I signed were not taking off or didn't look promising, so just for survival I kept doing modeling, I didn't even realize and I modeled for good brands. I can clearly say I'm a model by default. As they say whatever happens, happens for the best and I'm in a happy space Was acting in your mind since childhood? Not really, when I watched Aishwarya Rai in her films, I said to myself “This is what I want to do." All I wanted was to do good makeup , wear good clothes and be appreciated hahahaha and I thought that was it , that's what these actors do .Today I laugh at myself when I think of this Why did you want to be an actress? To be honest when I first thought of becoming an actress, it was purely because of the glamorous life it offers, by way of name, fame, money and lifestyle. But after facing a few auditions, I realized it is a craft. Later after doing a few shoots I also realized that it's an art. I'm happy when I'm living those reel moments. To what extent do you believe in destiny? I believe in decisions. The most important factor that shapes our fate or destiny is, in fact, the decisions that we make at the turning points in our lives. Our life, as it is now, is created by the results of the choices we ourselves made according to the tendencies of our own mind, each time we encounter a specific event. It may thus be said that it is the choices which a person makes that are the most important factor in shaping a person’s destiny. Your life is exactly how you choose it to be. Whatever you have, make the most of it, use it to your benefits. Do you think luck is just an excuse for those who lack talent? Destiny plays a part for sure and no one can teach us either how to find it or how to chase it. I read somewhere "Success is an accident which happens to only hardworking people."I believe even if you are less talented still you can make it big with your hard work. Hard work beats talent when the talent doesn't work hard. Keep working hard, as definitely you will reach somewhere. Were you not scared of casting couch? Did you have any bad experiences? How did you ward off that person? Hahaha, I was scared of heights too but still I jumped off a plane in Las Vegas. Jyothi you are such a senior journalist yourself and you know how this industry works more than me. Yes, I have faced it many times but then I did meet a few honest filmmakers too. I did lose a few projects because of the syndrome of the casting couch but then I should also confess frankly that I lost a few projects because I was the second best , and someone else was better than me . Who are your favorite actors and actresses? Two favorite Actresses are Aishwarya Rai & Angelina Jolie and as far as actors are concerned, Will Smith & Hugh Jackman. My current crush these days is Michele Morrone, as he is so hot all 365 days. Trevor Noah is a dream celebrity date. Which are the directors in your wish list? Well, the wish list is huge. I have been a huge fan of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Is virginity a virtue in today's times or do you think that it is overrated? Virginity??? I mean I have to answer this in this age and time?? Why are men so obsessed with it? Virginity has always been a big deal. Countless cultures have been obsessed with the concept from their beginnings. Virginity is conceptual, it is a social construct. While it is perfectly healthy to want to wait until you are in a committed relationship or married before you have sex, shaming others for not choosing the same path is hurtful. This is exactly what our cultural view of virginity does. It praises those who remain “pure,” and shames those who choose to have sex before marriage. The idea of purity is used as a means to control and manipulate us into following social norms, especially gender norms. It reinforces the idea that women lack sexuality. Virginity is treated as a commodity that can be lost. So according to this concept, when a woman has sex, she loses her value. I feel it is just RIDICULOUS !! Would you consider it a compliment if a man calls you sexy? Being sexy comes natural to me on the screen, I don't even have to actually try for it , and if someone calls me "cute" I get totally flattered. Immediately I like the person back. Hahaha as weird as it may sound, but that's true. Are you open to appear in a bikini and do lip to lip kisses on the screen? If I was in my teens and if I had the next 15 years of career then definitely my answer would have been "yes”. What kind of men put you off? An inconsistent man is a big turn off. Any man showing off is another turn-off. I like to meet vulnerability, and those dark areas where no one has entered. Show me your life journey, your struggles, your reasons. This reminds me lyrics from the song "SHOW ME YOUR SOUL” "In a world that can be so insane I don't think it's very strange. For me to be in love with you I want to know more than your brain" What is your take on MeToo syndrome? The “Me Too” movement, which focuses on the experiences of sexual violence survivors, has earned a large response precisely because sexual harassment and sexual assault impact people every day. By sharing their own experiences, the movement’s proponents hope to show just how common sexual harassment is. The hope is that, if people are more aware of sexual harassment and how casually it is sometimes treated, then tolerance for it will decrease and support for victims will rise. But sadly many women have misused it. Now it looks ugly and a source of publicity. Such a good cause made ugly by few, SAD!! Are you open to acting on TV and the web too? Yes I'm open to acting on TV or the web if I get something substantial. This Coronavirus has taught us to respect work more than before. How would you describe yourself as a person? As a person who lives her life by her choice. I have an extremely strong will power and am proud of all the decisions I have taken till today. I have a Never Give up attitude. Not many people I have seen with so much conviction.I believe in sacrifices, I believe in putting your loved ones before you and at the same I believe in self-love . To strike the balance between these two is hard. If you are marooned on an Island for a night, which man would you prefer to have as your exclusive company? Someone who can sing and dance with me on “Girls like you (Maroon 5)" hahahaha . Trevor Noah would be good but only if he could dance well. What is your view on lesbianism and homosexuality today? You don’t need to be LGBTQ+ to support gay rights; you just need to be human. Love is a human experience, not a political statement. People of quality value equality. Thousands of people took to street shouting their worth and I was one of them who has walked for Gaypride New York 2019 in July 2019 .This world belongs equally to them as well , they all are amazing people . How comfortable will you be to indulge in wild passion in bed, of course for the camera? I have my own limitations. I highly appreciate people who can do that, as you need a lot of guts to do so. I confess that I lack it. How's quarantine life going? It's scary to see so many people suffering; I get really sad when I watch the numbers going high every day. People have suffered financially and emotionally. People are getting depressed. I pray these gloomy days pass soon .Not many people know that I have a clothing store in Vadodara . My partner and I opened it with our pocket money in our teens. We worked really hard all these years and we were doing extremely well. Coronavirus has led to a real existential crisis for the clothing industry. No one wants to buy clothes to sit at home. Navratri and NRI season {NOV-DEC-JAN} is my season to make money. This year I don't think we can do business. Me and my partner are on the verge of shutting it as it's simply not possible for small businesses to survive with no income coming in for months. Finances have suffered but when I see other people I feel God has been kind to me, I'm definitely in a better spot. On the personal front, ohh , it was much needed . I am completely loving this Me-time . I am living all alone as it was not possible to go to my native place. I'm baking and cooking different cuisines every day, as this is something I love doing. Will you opt for a love marriage or an arranged marriage? Whether love or arranged, marriage should be for the right reasons. 99% of people marry because they are fed in their system that "Marriage means settlement”. I completely disagree with it. For me, marriage is a beautiful union with the person you can live happily with. Whether love or arranged, if it is done with the mindset of securing yourself financially or socially then it can never be a happy one . Marrying because you want to produce kids as your biological clock is ticking is another reason for failed marriages. Love or arranged both are equally beautiful if done for the right reason. Let love be the only reason. I believe In LOVE and you may find it in arranged setup too. What is your opinion about a live in marriage today? Well it has its own pros and cons. Live-in gives you an opportunity to understand the person better but what if you are serious and devote everything in the relationship and the other person leaves you high and dry after 10/15 years, then to re-start your life again gets difficult. In those years you have not only invested emotionally, physically but financially also. Though marriage also doesn't come with guarantee these days, I would say, “Each to his/her own” Radhika Apte had famously said that she uses her nude body as a tool for her craft as an actor. Do you agree with her? I don't think Radhika Apte has used her nude body as a tool for her craft. Problem is people saw her nude body, people didn't see how talented she is. We don't judge a Hollywood actor for the bold scenes but if an Indian does it we have our eyes ogling at her. Such a mindset should be shamed. It takes a lot of guts for a good artist to shed her/his clothes and perform. She has the guts, and I admire her but sadly I don't have , and I wish I had. Related Articles Latest Stories Read the Next Article