Actor Sayani Gupta has spoken candidly about the personal struggles that came with her decision to follow her passion for acting. In a recent conversation on Cyrus Says, Sayani recalled how quitting her high-paying corporate job at a young age to study acting was a choice her mother strongly opposed, leading to a period of emotional distance between them.
Sayani shared that she was certain about wanting to become an actor and felt deeply unfulfilled in her corporate role, despite earning well. When she got selected for the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, her excitement was met with shock at home. She revealed that her mother did not speak to her for nearly a month after learning about her decision to join the institute, unable to come to terms with the career shift.
Reflecting on her upbringing, Sayani said her mother held deep-rooted misconceptions about the acting profession. She recalled being restricted from attending theatre rehearsals while growing up, as her mother viewed the industry negatively. Even when Sayani tried to keep her FTII admission a secret, the news reached her mother almost immediately after she arrived on campus.
A turning point came when Sayani’s mother was offered small roles in student diploma films at FTII. After accepting three out of five offers, her outlook began to soften. According to Sayani, her mother then admitted that pursuing acting for a couple of years might not be such a bad idea after all.
Sayani made her Hindi film debut in Second Marriage.com in 2012 and gained wider recognition with Margarita with a Straw in 2015. She later appeared in films such as Fan, Jolly LLB 2 and Article 15. Most recently, she was seen in Four More Shots Please Season 4, which premiered on Prime Video in December 2025.
