Karishma Tanna has been through a lot, but she has always come out stronger and better. She jumped into the trending world of web series with ease more than a decade later in the industry. A lot of female-centric roles came her way, and she welcomed them with open arms. Following Hush Hush and a cameo in Guilty Minds. She is currently making headlines for her breakthrough performance in Hansal Mehta’s Scoop. Karishma has established herself as an exceptional actress based on the true story of crime reporter Jigna Vora.
Looking back on her journey, she speaks about coming from a middle-class Gujarati family and her big television debut being in Ekta Kapoor’s Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu thi, which was nothing short of a dream come true for the young hopeful. “Yes, it is a dream come true for a girl from a middle-class Gujarati family, and getting a big show in a different role is a dream come true. My audition was very basic because I don’t have a film background and didn’t know how to stand in front of the camera. Yet, I managed it, Ekta liked it, and the rest is history,” she asserts.Karishma was increasingly labelled as the glamorous doll, the eye candy, despite the fact that she had so much potential. She went from doing show to show before becoming involved in a slew of reality shows. When asked about that point in her career, she says she has no regrets and that the excitement of the format drove her to be there and savour it. “That’s because it was quick in and out,” she explains. “The project lasted three months. You are not completely committed to one role. Also, if I am starting a television show, I need to know when the role will end. I don’t believe I was ever designed for a daily drama that lasts for years and years. It’s not me; it’s not something I’m interested in. One of the reasons I did reality shows was that they were unique, creative, and included stages and challenges. It was enjoyable; you are putting your mind to it. It’s fun because you’re competing.”
Scoop by Hansal Mehta provided the much-needed boost that both the artiste in her and her ambitions required. “When I auditioned for this role, I had no idea it was based on a true story,” she says of her first audition. “When I read the script, I recognised a Gujarati character who works as a crime reporter. Hansal sir said that after watching my audition tape for the role, he saw the hustle and hunger that was needed to play Jigna Vora, the inspiration behind my character, Jagruti Pathak. And that is how I got the role.” An emotionally taxing role like this one necessitates preparation for authenticity. Karisma goes on to say that she visited several police stations and spoke with officers in order to put herself in the shoes of a crime reporter. “I learned how a crime reporter talks to cops and how stories are researched. What the field work and body language are like,” she reveals. She also discusses how Hansal Mehta trained her to make the character of Jagruti Pathak, the name of her onscreen character, her own. He didn’t want her to have any preconceived notions about what Jigna Vora must have gone through that would influence how she portrayed the persona. Given what a traumatic period this must have been for Jigna Vora, whose life was depicted in Scoop, Karishma shares how she only met her on the final day of the shoot and the emotional tension that existed at the time. “It was very surreal,” she says. It was very different to meet someone who is a real person, and I am playing that character in front of the camera, so it was like Jigna talking to Jagruti.” It was warm when she came to meet us—a lot of hurt, a lot of questions in her eyes, which we could see. However, the meeting went well. It was unique.”
There are a few moments in the show that stand out for Karishma Tanna. As the conversation progresses, she reveals how the unexpected scenes had the most impact on both her and the audience. In a jail scene in which her character Jagruti Pathak is mocked by her fellow inmates, she explains how Hansal Mehta simply went with the flow and made the scene one of the best in the series. 
 “He loves impromptu and unplanned things, and those are the best moments in the scenes,” she says. As he mentioned about the jail scene, I was just watching TV on a small screen. On TV, those reporters were insulting Jagruti Pathak. There were 300 inmates when he burst out screaming, “Pathak, Pathak!” Everyone is just saying Pathak Pathak, and that scene embarrassed me even more than Jagruti Pathak. And that scene came out so well that I got goosebumps talking about it.” 
While Karishma Tanna was the series’ biggest surprise, Harman Baweja’s comeback to showbiz was much talked about as well. Perhaps that is what the world of OTT has opened up for us—an ocean of talent just waiting to be discovered. Karishma fondly discusses her friendship with the actor. “I have known Harman for a long time. He has been my friend for years now. and when I got to know that Harman was coming back, I was pleasantly surprised and happy. I was very excited to work with him because I never had. Before every scene, we used to giggle and laugh. I could see in his eyes, too, that hunger to show that he’s back. He could see it in my eyes too: Here I am, look at me. I am an actor. So we both had that connection going on, and we both wanted to prove ourselves. And that worked.” As she recalls Scoop’s initial wave of response, she also recalls the wave of triumph that swept the team off their feet. There were celebrations and congratulations, and it took her a while to take it all in. She was so pumped up that she called Hansal Mehta every day, shedding light on their conversation.  “The responses I’m getting, the types of reactions I’m getting on social media, are fantastic. And Hansal sir is so laid back; he’d tell me to enjoy the moment. He was so chilled, and so was Harman. I was the only one going over the moon,” she giggles.
While she’s getting her fair share of compliments, her biggest cheerleader has been her husband, businessman Varun Bangera. She says he’s been lucky for her. She met him when she was doing Hush Hush and they were dating when she got Scoop. “I just feel my best work has come when Varun is in my life. I call him my lucky charm and vice versa. He has already taken my autograph. When I told him I have gotten this show, this is the role and character - he was like it was going to be big. Every time anyone tells him his wife has done a good job in Scoop. His heart swells up with pride.” She always wanted to prove herself as an actor and Scoop has done it for her. She hopes that in future too, she gets roles which have meat in them and not just the eye candy variety. “I’m hoping that people and the industry perceive me differently. I’m hoping for good work now. When I look back at Scoop, I believe I did a good job. People have cried when I cried, and they have related to the character; they can relate to how ambitious this girl is, as well as how she treats her family and child. She feels vulnerable when she goes to jail. People rooted for her, and that felt good, and I hope I get to play such powerful characters in future as well.” Fingers crossed!  More on: Karishma Tanna

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