Born and brought up in Kolkata, singer-actress Amika Shail has essayed characters in Laxmii, Mirzapur 2, Gandii Baat 6, Disney+Hotstar’s Chattis Aur Maina, and many more. She will soon be making her debut in the South Entertainment industry and also has three Hindi movies and two music videos slated for release this year. The Kolkata Mail correspondent Priyanka Dutta caught up with the singer-actress in an exclusive chat. Excerpts…

You started as a singer and you turned towards acting. How did you develop this passion for acting?
Amika Shail- I started singing at the age of 5. Since I am from Bengal and my mother is a singer, I was always inspired by her. When I turned 5, I started my training in classical singing. My mother was my first teacher. This is how my journey as a singer began.

I got into professional singing after I shifted to Bombay after my graduation. But prior to that, I was a part of many reality shows. So Bombay was like a second home to me which I visited frequently to participate in singing reality shows like Sa re ga ma, Little Champs, Amul Star Voice of India, Bharat ki Shaan, etc.

Once I shifted to Bombay, I took to singing as my career.

It has been more than 7-8 years since I am into singing. I have sung for movies, I have sung for music albums, and I have released my own music albums as well. I have my own YouTube channel which has like 80k+ subscribers. So I was fully into singing and then acting happened accidentally. Now it has been 2 years that I am into acting. The acting journey began with a musical show. They needed a singer-actor for that show and they approached me. I went for an audition but did not get selected then. It was also because I was not ready as an actor at that time. But yes this was my first baby step into the world of acting and then I groomed myself for it.

My first show as an actor was Udaan on Colors TV. I never auditioned for this show in specific. I auditioned for the production house though and months later I was selected for this show basis on the previous audition.

Since then there has never been a halt and I have been a part of a lot of TV shows. My last show on TV was Vayu Pari on Sab TV.

You have a background in music. But acting was a bit new territory for you. How did you manage acting?

Amika Shail- My decision to come to Mumbai was overnight. I realized that I will not be able to make a career in singing by just sitting in Kolkata. I conveyed this to my parents and they supported me fully in this.

It was after coming to Mumbai I realized that this fight has to be fought alone. I knew nobody and nothing about this industry. I had just 2 options – Stay here and make my mark in the industry or go back to Kolkata. But I selected the first one and the rest is history.

Then I got the opportunity to playback a movie. I had struggled a lot for it and after years of hard work, I could finally achieve it. People started recognizing me as a singer. I was among the top 20 Youtube singers in the country.

But then the transition from singing to acting happened. It was like starting my journey all over again.

Did, you face any problems in acting in the initial stages?
Amika Shail- I come from a family which has never been a part of the entertainment industry. I am the first in my family to step out and join the film industry. I had to struggle to make my place here.

Also, I come from a middle-class family. I also had to work hard to make ends meet in Mumbai. Initially, I also worked as a Music teacher in a school along with giving auditions.

I still remember my first day at the shoot on the sets of Udaan. I was scared of my roots and I couldn’t deliver the dialogues properly. I was overwhelmed with the entire setup.

But I believe once I have marked a place for myself then it is purely my hard work that helps me get good work. I have been fortunate to be a part of some really good projects and I am enjoying this process and the entire journey to date.

I have learned to take both success and failure in an equal spirit. I have faced days when I did not have any work at hand. But I have only emerged stronger out of it.

Has singing taken a back seat due to your acting assignments?
Amika Shail- I can never separate singing from myself. My entire journey in the entertainment industry had been possible only because of my singing talent. But yes, as of now I am concentrating more on acting. I do keep on getting some singing assignments. People who know that I am also a singer offer me to do both for their projects. Like I sang the title track of one of the web shows I worked for.

But honestly, the focus is more on acting now.

What do you like more- acting or singing?
Amika Shail- It is extremely difficult to choose between acting and singing. It is like choosing between your body and soul.

Singing is my soul and I will always be a singer first. I have started my journey in the industry as a singer. I have been a singer since my childhood and I have given so many years of my life learning and practicing to sing. Even my acting journey is credited to my singing skills only. A production house was looking for a singer who can also act. This was for a reality show. They approached me for the same and although I wasn’t selected for that particular show that gave me an idea that I should try my luck in acting as well.

That is how acting happened to me. I had never dreamt or planned of becoming an actor at all. I believe it is all destined.

Tell us about your upcoming acting and singing projects.

Amika Shail- I believe in going with the flow. I have never had a checklist. Things just happened to me one after the other and I am happy and contended with the way life has unfolded itself for me.

So, I do not believe in a lot of planning. I just take the projects as and when they come to me.

If we talk about my upcoming projects, I have a few web series lined up for release. Other than that, I have 3 movies slated for release this year. One of them titled Mussoriee Boyz is directed by Hriday V Shetty, the second one is tittle Dog, directed by Shailendra Singh and the third one is by Sri Adhikari Brothers. I have 2 music video releases as well. I also make my debut in the south entertainment industry this year in an item number for this Malayalam movie called Nobody.

You hail from Kolkata. Will we get to see your acting or singing talents in the Bengali film or music industry?
Amika Shail- I have grown up watching Bengali movies, I would definitely love to be a part of a Bengali film or web series in the future. Being a Bengali myself it will definitely be great to be a part of the Bengali industry. It is known for its rich storytelling and we have seen some brilliant actors/directors coming out of the Bengali Film industry. It will be an honor to be a part of it.

Are you satisfied with the kind of roles that you are getting?
Amika Shail- As I have mentioned earlier, acting was never my plan. It happened to me accidentally. Despite of that, I have been fortunate enough to be a part of some really good projects. Laxmii and Mirzapur 2 happened right at the beginning of my acting career and then there was no looking back.

I was recognized highly even for the roles I played on TV. I was very popular among kids for my role as Vayu Pari in Baalveer.

So, I am satisfied with the kind of roles that I have played to date however there is always a craving of getting something better.

Since I entered the world of acting there has been no looking back for me. I was roped into one project after another. Yes, I do believe in grooming myself. And therefore, I give in a lot of effort into being fit and looking good on screen.

I do wish to see myself at the top of the industry.

Do you have a dream role?
Amika Shail- The kind of role I am looking forward to is working on a project which helps me display some action scenes. I would love to play a role that helps me display my fitness. I would love to be a part of an action-packed movie.

What advice will you like to give to upcoming talents who want to make it big in the acting or singing industry?
Amika Shail- For upcoming actors, I would say be confident with yourselves, do your hard work with passion and you should focus on what you are doing. You should always give your 100 % in whatever you do. There would be a lot of lucrative shortcuts. Avoid them.