It's disappointing when a film is appreciated, but underperforms at BO: Bhagyashri Borse

Living fully in the present is at the top of Bhagyashri Borse’s bucket list for 2026. In a conversation with us, the actress, who received praise for her performance in 'Kaantha', shares, “I want to live in the present because it soon becomes the yesterday we look back at and miss.”

‘KAANTHA HAS BEEN A BLESSING IN MY LIFE’Calling Kaantha a “blessing in my life”, Bhagyashri says, “For a newcomer like me, getting such a platform at such an early stage to showcase my potential was the most exciting opportunity. Receiving such a positive response for my performance was overwhelming. It motivated me to work even harder towards my dreams. It truly feels like my journey has just begun.”

‘Watching Dulquer perform is a treat to the eyes’Ask Bhagyashri about which qualities of her Kaantha co-star Dulquer Salmaan she’d like to imbibe, and she says, “Throughout the shooting process, I tried to imbibe his modesty and passion for acting. As everyone is aware, Dulquer is one of the finest we have in the industry. I felt lucky to be his co-star in a completely performance-driven film like Kaantha . Watching him perform is a treat to the eyes.”

‘I’M AN OLD SOUL; I GREW UP WATCHING ALL THE CLASSIC ACTORS’After Kaantha , critics and audiences alike have pointed out that Bhagyashri possesses an old-world charm that’s rare in artistes nowadays. Reacting to the sentiment, she states, “I think that’s such a beautiful compliment. I am unabashedly in love with cinema. And that makes me want to be very sincere in my work. Not sure about oldworld charm, but I do believe I’m an old soul. As I grew up watching all the classic actors, I may have imbibed the good qualities I liked in each one of them.”

‘WHEN YOU PUT SO MUCH OF YOURSELF INTO A FILM AND IT DOESN’T DO WELL COMMERCIALLY, THERE’S DISAPPOINTMENT’She admits that it isn’t easy when her film underperforms at the box office. “It does sting, honestly. When you put so much of yourself into a film and it’s appreciated critically but doesn’t do well commercially, there’s a moment of disappointment. But it’s important to look at the positives, mainly to take what you’ve learnt from the experience and keep going. That’s really all you can do as an artiste.”

‘ACTING IS A PROFESSION THAT REQUIRES IMMENSE PASSION’A lot has changed for Bhagyashri since her initial days in cinema. “When I began, all I knew was that acting made me happy, and I was looking forward to discovering more about films. Little did I know how much hard work it actually demands, and a lot of it goes unnoticed. From consistently spending over 12 hours on set to dealing with erratic shooting schedules where we even forget to eat, it’s for films the audience embraces and loves us for. It’s a profession that requires immense passion to be able to do all of this without a second thought.”

‘Chennai is the first city I explored in South India’Chennai, she shares, feels like home. And there’s a reason as to why. “Chennai is quite close to my heart because it’s the first city that I explored in South India. In the beginning, when I visited the city for brand shoots, I never imagined I’d some day be doing movies here,” she says and adds, “When I was offered Kaantha , I decided to completely shift to Chennai. I made it my base for about six months. I loved visiting temples here, taking evening strolls through the streets, and trying local dishes.”

She was last seen in Telugu film 'Andhra King Taluka' opposite Ram Pothineni. 'Andhra King Taluka' received decent reviews from the audiences. Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”