When does an actor stop acting, and when does the real person take over? Is the definition of romance the same on-screen and off-screen? 

These are some questions with which I started interviewing Samyukta Hornad, a Kannada film actress and an animal lover, who is also the founder of the Praana Animal Foundation. 

This conversation for The Myndstories Podcast swiftly turned into one of the most comfortable conversations I have had, as Samyukta spoke straight from her heart. We had candid discussions about a troubling incident from her past, its impact on her present, her animal welfare initiatives, and finding romance in life. 

Be vulnerable as an artist to stay true to your identity 

“The greatest enemy for yourself is comfort. I put myself out there being vulnerable, and that makes me really, really strong,” says Samyukta. 

It’s hard for me to accept my vulnerabilities, and here was Samyukta talking about treating them as strengths. She said her mentality has changed over time, as she slowly learned not to take everything to heart. 

She believes that artists need to be both vulnerable and self-aware of what hurts and impacts them. Once they identify this fine line, they can be themselves while navigating through people’s perceptions.

Sit with yourself and figure out what makes you unhappy 

In life, we may get what we have desired, but sometimes, it doesn’t make us as happy as we imagined. Samyukta recalls being the unhappiest person in the world even after receiving the coveted Filmfare Award. 

Why? Because she wanted external validation from people who don’t even matter. Since then, Samyukta has done things differently. Today, it’s all about knowing what hurts her, what can be a problem, and how to be mindful of her feelings. 

The past has a deeper connection to the present

Samyukta opened up about a very sensitive incident from back when she attended an all-girls college. On a class trip, she underwent a severe ragging episode, getting badly beaten up. 

After this traumatic incident, she stopped going to college, taking time to recover. One day, she saw a photo of one of the people who had ragged her in the Bangalore Times. The person was featured as a participant of Femina Miss India. 

The photo stirred a strange emotion in her heart. Then and there she decided that she would grace the front page of Bangalore Times, too. With this step, she challenged herself and turned her trauma into the fuel to create a beautiful future. 

Forgiveness is never about others, it’s about you

I believe that holding onto intense emotions is almost equivalent to doing intensive physical tasks. Holding resentments takes up a lot of energy, and it’s better to forgive and close the chapter in your life. 

Samyukta reaffirmed my belief in this by saying,

“Forgiving is not about the other person, it’s about you. Others are dealing with their own issues and are really not thinking about you. So your closure has to come from your forgiveness.”

“I hope my dog is really proud of me.”

We all crave support and appreciation from our loved ones. But before this conversation with Samyukta, I had never thought of how we subconsciously seek this love from our pets too. 

After the loss of her dog, Samyukta struggled with depression. As the pandemic hit, she turned to animals for comfort. She started feeding animals across Bangalore with a team of 5 people that grew 130 members strong to feed the entire city’s animals. 

That was the beginning of the Praana Animal Foundation.

We need to be grateful for the relationships we have

Our generation has grown up watching the hero trying to woo his lady love and the woman fighting against all odds to be one with her beloved. This depiction has set an almost unreal standard of romantic love for us, and in chasing this love, we undermine all our existing relationships. 

Samyukta echoes this idea and believes in cherishing every bond we make in life. “The beauty of not finding romantic love is the fact that you indulge in other relationships. There is love in different forms,” she muses.

With her intensity of self-awareness, Samyukta turned this interview into a warm discussion on authenticity, forgiveness, closure, and about finding love in all nooks and corners of life. This is one episode that left me with a wide smile on my face. Do listen to it here.