Cynicism led me to politics: Vani

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Actor and BJP national secretary Vani Tripathi, who is ready to don the role of a real life politician, mentions that she hasn’t given up on acting, and by joining politics she wants to encourage more creative activities.

“Theatre is and will always remain my passion. It’s just that now I have found different outlets to express myself. And through politics, I want to encourage more arts and culture,” she says.
The transition from acting to politics wasn’t an easy one either. But Vani was determined to take that plunge quite early on in life. The BJP national secretary of the youth wing says, “I didn’t want to wait and decide that I’ll do something to bring about a change later in life. I just had to do it now. The cynicism around me led me to politics.”
“The youth stands at the periphery whereas it should be a major force in policy making. If not us, then who will cleanse the system? I admired the way Atal Behari Vajpayeeji worked. I joined a political party because I wanted to be a part of the policy making process and bring about a change. And I was clear about not supporting dynastic politics. There’s a long way to go and I am ready for it,” she added.
Vani, the only child of her academician parents, believes that her upbringing moulded her passion for the performing arts. “I was brought up in an academic environment with a lot of exposure to culture, books and the performing arts. I grew up learning to sing, dance, especially training in Hindustani classical music. By the time I was 13, I had almost exhausted reading all the books in our house and I wanted to read more. My parents always encouraged me to read good literature. I took to the arts in my college years in Delhi. By the time I was in my degree college, I was a faculty member,” says Vani.
The talented and versatile actor, who was under the tutelage of theatre veteran Ebrahim Alkazi, says that theatre felt like home away from home. “I would literally eat, breathe and live theatre. What I found most fascinating was that you have transform into another character. For instance, we would sweep our stage at 6 and be an actor by 6.30. There was no I, me or myself. It was an ensemble experience where it was all about us,” she says.
Bollywood wasn’t too far away for Vani. After a few auditions, she got a call from a production house and her journey in Bollywood thus began. “I knew that I had one life to live. Though the films seemed a daunting platform, it was such a high to see oneself on screen. For those few moments, you feel elated and on cloud nine, but then I realised after couple of films that I had to go beyond cinema. Moreover, I wasn’t getting the kind of roles that I wanted. I realised that one can decide your entry point in Bollywood, but no can predict your exit point,” she says.