When Karishma Tanna revealed her ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’ audition went ‘horrible’, said, ‘but still, I got chosen’

Today, Karishma Tanna is known for her confident screen presence. She has proved her brilliance across both OTT and television. But her journey began with nervousness and a lot of self-doubt. In an earlier interview, the actor once looked back at her early days in the industry. She revealed how unprepared she felt when she first stepped onto the sets of Ekta Kapoor.

Karishma Tanna on her very first day of shooting

Speaking to Pinkvilla, Karishma opened up about her very first day on the sets of ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi.’ She admitted that she had no real understanding of camera work or dialogue delivery at the time.

“I was very nervous, I did not know the basics of shooting. I just knew that I have to utter the dialogue after ‘Roll, Camera Action.’ But, I did not know the ethics of dialogue delivery, facing the camera and more. So, I asked my director to help and guide me through. And the first shot turned out to be good enough.”


That first day, she says, was all about learning on the spot and trusting the people guiding her.

Her audition was “horrible”

Karishma did not hold back while recalling her audition experience either. She described it as far from impressive.

“My audition for Balaji was horrible. I’m generally a good student when learning lines, but in front of the camera, things go haywire. I have fumbled multiple times and it was a very ganda (bad) audition. But still, I got chosen,” she said.

She went on to explain why she believes she was selected despite the fumbling. “Ekta ma’am does not see dialogues, she wants the actor to fit in the role, acting is then taken care of. So, I guess I fit the role and that is how I got it,” she mentioned.

From TV stereotypes to respected performances

In another earlier interaction with Pinkvilla, Karishma addressed the long-standing belief. She revealed that the notion that television actors cannot adapt beyond TV is totally wrong.

“If the director says to do it subtly, they will do it. I don’t understand that TV actors can’t do films. Now, it is evolving. Now, film people and web series people take TV actors seriously. They now realise that we are talented and that we can adapt to any given situation,” he added.

Years after that nervous audition, Karishma went on to redefine her image. Her performance in ‘Scoop,’ directed by Hansal Mehta, earned widespread acclaim. She played journalist Jigna Vora. She also won the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Actor (Female) for her role as Jagruti Pathak. She also made a special appearance in the 2024 series ‘Call Me Bae.’ It added yet another layer to her diverse body of work.