EXCITING NEW ACTING STAR KHER ON HER RECENT FILM AND DRAMA SERIAL SUCCESS
by ASJAD NAZIR
MOST of the world may have been stuck during the Covid-19 crisis, but Saiyami Kher has been moving at top speed and had three high-profile releases during lockdown.
The talented young actress followed up thriller series Special Ops with glowing reviews for Netflix film Choked, where she played the central character. Earlier this month, she delivered a terrific turn in newly released Amazon Prime series Breathe: Into The Shadows.
With more projects waiting for her after lockdown is over, the rapidly rising star looks set to go interstellar and carry on showing off her increasingly impressive range, which has already included acting in multiple languages.
Eastern Eye caught up with Saiyami Kher to talk about her recent success, acclaimed performances, future hopes and plans for when lockdown is fully lifted.
After a steady start with interesting films, you have taken your time selecting projects. Has that been a conscious decision?
Well, I haven’t been offered roles that have excited me. So with Special Ops and Breathe even though the roles are small, the script really excited me and my parts were also something very different from what I have ever done or been offered. And with Choked, it was a no-brainer because it was such a fantastic character to play. And plus working with (director) Anurag Kashyap. I didn’t want to do things that didn’t excite me, which is why the long wait.
Is finding good projects the biggest challenge you face?
Yes, it is definitely one of the biggest challenges. Because even though as an actor I’m really excited to do different roles and experiment, I need to be offered stuff like that. (Smiles) I have unfortunately still not come to a place where I can produce my own films.
How do you feel about three high-profile projects releasing in quick succession?
All the work I have been doing the last year and a half is now coming out. I am glad it is coming out now when people are home and have lots of time to watch content. But it’s a happy and sad feeling. Happy because my work is coming out and people are consuming it, and liking it, but sad because of the situation we are in. In normal circumstances, I would have signed on more exciting stuff and started working. But right now everything is on hold.
How much do the positive reviews, including from fellow actors, mean to you, for your performance in Netflix’s Choked?
It’s been overwhelming. The love I have received after Choked, especially from filmmakers whom I admire. I’m someone who doesn’t take criticism or appreciation very seriously because I feel my job is to keep working on my craft, and carry on aiming to get better. Some work people will like, some people won’t. I just need to be honest and give it my best shot. With Choked, I really learned a lot as an actor and enjoyed the process, and I’m glad that people have liked my work.
What was the experience of doing a movie like Choked where you are the centre of the action?
I never really thought of it like that. I was just doing my job with the same honesty I did in Special Ops or Mirzya. The excitement was the same. So even if it’s a 20-minute or a two-hour long role, the process is just the same. But I feel very blessed I got to bring Sarita to life. Sarita will always be very special because it was something that was out of my comfort zone. But Anurag (Kashyap) makes its so simple. Even if in my head it was complex he just makes it very simple. That was a big learning because he said actors complicate things when there is no need.
What was the experience of acting in web series Special Ops, which has pulled in big audiences?
Great fun! Guns, action and travelling to some beautiful locations! Juhi was a ‘don’t mess with me, no nonsense’ character. In the next season, one should expect much more from Juhi. I have really enjoyed (writer-director) Neeraj Pandey’s work. And working with him was also a big learning experience because he is a man of few words. He is very sure about his script before he goes on the floors. I am hoping and looking forward to collaborating with him more often.
Does your approach change between films and acting in a drama serial?
The preparation for the role is pretty much same, regardless of the medium. Be it theatre, film or web series, the same effort goes into finding a backstory for the character; the same time is spent physically and emotionally preparing for the role. What changes slightly is the logistics of it. Web shows are shot over a long period of time compared to film. So sometimes, you have to make sure you maintain the look for that amount of time. Also, unlike a film script (where you know how things end), characters and plot lines are fleshed out season to season in a show. So, while I have a rough idea of what happens, it’s very exciting to see what the writers come up with.
What was your experience of acting in new Amazon series Breathe: Into The Shadows like?
Breathe is a crime thriller and I really enjoyed the first season. This season, the script is very gripping. I am playing a character I can’t reveal too much about, but it’s something I have never done before. I’m really excited for my role in the show.
Are you consciously looking to play strong women roles?
Well, I would love to. I want to be a part of good scripts. So, even if it’s an ensemble, I want to do good scripts. My character should move the story forward. I have been very lucky to get a role like Sarita in Choked. I do hope more such characters are written and I get more such opportunities.
Is the plan going forward to mix up films and serials?
I am happy to do series and films in different languages and different countries. I am also happy to do theatre. I just want to act.
Do you have a dream role you would love to play?
I would really like to do a sport film where I need to train physically hard to become the part.
Who would you love to work with?
Mr (Amitabh) Bachchan, George Clooney and Ryan Gosling. I have been a big fan of all three and would just like to share screen space with them, and learn how they are so effortless on screen. I would also like to chat with them about their films and process.
What other confirmed projects do you have on the way soon?
I am shooting for a film right now and have 15 days left. But I can’t speak too much about the film.
What do you enjoy watching as an audience member?
I love watching romantic comedy films and crime thriller series.
What inspires you?
Sportsmen, sportswomen and people in the army inspire me.
What is the first thing you will do when lockdown is over?
I will want to meet all my friends who I have been missing a lot. I will do a nice dinner with all my friends and then resume shooting for my film.
Special Ops (Hotstar), Choked (Netflix) and Breathe: Into The Shadows (Amazon Prime) are all available now.
Jay's grandma’s popcorn from Gujarat is now selling out everywhere.
Ditched the influencer route and began posting hilarious videos online.
Available in Sweet Chai and Spicy Masala, all vegan and gluten-free
Jayspent 18 months on a list. Thousands of names. Influencers with follower counts that looked like phone numbers. He was going to launch his grandmother's popcorn the right way: send free bags, wait for posts, pray for traction. That's the playbook, right? That's what you do when you're a nobody selling something nobody asked for.
Then one interaction made him snap. The entitlement. The self-importance. The way some food blogger treated his family's recipe like a favour they were doing him. He looked at his spreadsheet. Closed it. Picked up his phone and decided to burn it all down.
Now he makes videos mocking the same people he was going to beg for help. Influencers weeping over the wrong luxury car. Creators demanding payment for chewing food on camera. Someone having a breakdown about ice cubes. And guess what? The internet ate it up. His popcorn keeps selling out. And from Gujarat, his grandmother's 60-year-old recipe is now moving units because her grandson got mad enough to be funny about it.
Jay’s grandma’s popcorn from Gujarat is now selling out everywhere Instagram/daadisnacks
The kitchen story
Daadi means grandmother in Hindi. Jay's daadi came to America from Gujarat decades ago. Every weekend, she made popcorn with the spices she grew up with, including cardamom, cinnamon, and chilli mixes. It was her way of keeping home close while living somewhere that didn't taste like it.
Jay wanted that in stores. Wanted brown faces in the snack aisle. It didn’t happen overnight. It took a couple of years to get from a family recipe to something they could actually sell. Everyone pitched in, including his grandmom, uncle, mum. The spices come from small local farmers. There are just two flavours for now, Sweet Chai and Spicy Masala. It’s all vegan and gluten-free, packed in bright bags that instantly feel South Asian.
The videos don't look like marketing. They look like someone venting at 11 PM after scrolling too long. He nails the nasal influencer voice. The fake sympathy. “I can’t believe this,” he says in that exaggerated influencer tone, “they gave me the cheaper car, only eighty grand instead of one-twenty.” That clip alone blew up, pulling in close to nine million views.
Most people don't know they're watching a snack brand. They think it's social commentary. Jay never calls himself an influencer. He says he’s a creator, period. There’s a difference, and he makes sure people know it. His TikTok has around three hundred thousand followers, Instagram about half that. The comments read like a sigh of relief, people fed up with fake polish, finally hearing someone say what everyone else was thinking.
This fits into something called deinfluencing; people pushing back against the buy-everything-trust-nobody cycle. But Jay's version has teeth. He's naming names, calling out the economics. Big venture money flows to chains with good lighting. Family businesses with actual stories get ignored because their content isn't slick enough.
Jay watched his New York neighbourhood change. Chains moved in. Influencers posted about places that had funding and were aesthetic. The old spots, the family ones, got left behind. His videos are about that gap. The erosion of local culture by money and aesthetics.
"Big chains and VC-funded businesses are promoted at the expense of local ones," he said. His content doesn't just roast influencers. It promotes other small food makers who can't afford to play the game. He positions Daadi as a defender of something real against something plastic.
And it's working. Not just philosophically. Financially. The videos drive traffic. People click through, try the popcorn, come back. The company can't keep stock. That's the proof.
Daadi popcorn features authentic Gujarat flavours like Sweet Chai and Spicy Masala, all vegan and gluten-free Daadi Snacks
The blowback
People unfollow because they think he's too harsh. Jay's take: "I would argue I need to be meaner."
In May, he posted that he's not chasing content creation money like most people at his follower count. "I post to speak my mind and help my family's snack biz." That's a different model. Most brands pay influencers to make everything look perfect. They chase viral polish, and Jay does the opposite. In fact, he weaponises rawness and treats criticism like a product feature.
The internet mostly backs him. Reddit threads light up with support. One commenter was "toxic influencers choking on their matcha lattes searching their Balenciaga bags." Another: "Influencers are boring and unoriginal and can get bent." The anger is shared. Jay simply gave it a microphone and a snack to buy.
Jay's success says something about where things are going. People are done with curated perfection. They can smell the artificiality now. They respond to brands that feel like humans rather than committees. Daadi doesn't sell aspiration. Doesn't sell a lifestyle. Sells popcorn and a point of view.
The quality matters, including the spices, the sourcing, and the family behind it. But the edge matters too. He’s not afraid to say what most brands tiptoe around. “We just show who we are,” Jay says. “No pretending, no gloss. People can feel that and that’s when they reach for the popcorn.”
Most small businesses can't afford to play the traditional game. Can't pay influencers. Can't hire agencies. Can't fake their way into feeds. Maybe they don't need to. Maybe honesty and humour can cut through if they're sharp enough. If the product backs it up. If the story is real and the person telling it isn't trying to sound like a PR script.
This started with a list Jay didn't use. The business took off the moment he stopped trying to play by the usual rules and started speaking his mind. Turns out, honesty sells. And yes, the popcorn really does taste good.
Daadi Snacks merch dropInstagram/daadisnacks
The question is whether this scales. Whether other small businesses watch this and realise they don't need to beg for attention from people who don't care. Right now, Daadi keeps selling out. People keep watching. The grandmother's recipe that was supposed to need influencer approval is doing fine without it. Better than fine. Turns out the most effective marketing strategy might just be giving a damn and not being afraid to show it.
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