Shirley Setia: There were days when I started doubting myself

India– This year, Shirley Setia will finally be making her Bollywood debut with Nikamma, but the singer-actor can never forget the rejections and setbacks that she faced while working on making her dream come true.

“Nikamma is not the first film that I auditioned for,” she reveals, and continues, “There were many films I auditioned for before. They never worked out. So, I let time take its own course, and guide me.”

But that doesn’t mean she didn’t grapple with any insecurities during her struggle period. What kept her motivated was her bond with her family, friends and fans.

“There are trolls also. When it gets too much, it feels like your life is miserable, and there are also moments, when you feel like you are getting rejected from everything, then you think if this is really what you are meant to be doing. When I was not able to crack any of the auditions, I started having doubts,” she admits.

Am I good at this? Whether I am supposed to be doing this? Why is this not working out for me? – These were some of the questions that came to Setia’s mind.

With time, the 25-year-old, who has studies fro New York Film Academy, admits she has “learnt to leave it to the universe, and keep on believing in yourself”.

She adds, “If you really believe in yourself with full heart and soul, it will happen for you.”

Setia further admits that she never thought that her life would change by posting videos online.

She left her life in New Zealand, and came to Mumbai to make a career. She posted her first video in 2013, and gradually started gaining attention through her cover versions of songs such as Sanam Re (Sanam Re) and Bol Do Na Zara (Azhar, both 2016).

“It’s not like I’ve not gone through difficult times. There have been a lot of little sacrifices which were made,” says the actor, who will also be seen in a Telugu film opposite Naga Shaurya.

The actor, who has already featured in a web series, Maska, goes on to add, “Before this when I used to give auditions, I used to see myself more as a singer, who wants to try acting. Now, it is ‘I am a singer who wants to do this’.”