Elli AvrRam, who has been part of a wide spectrum of characters across films and OTT, admits that breaking out of the industry’s perception of her was one of the biggest challenges she faced in her early years. “People often assumed they already knew me just by how I looked,” she says, adding that this led to her being typecast despite the range of roles she was taking on.
The Swedish actor, who was last seen in Be Happy, says, “I’ve done everything; from a Bengali wife to Jessie in Malang, to Indian characters in my upcoming films, but people still stereotyped me for a very long time. I have frequently been boxed into a certain image, and makers believed that I wasn’t suited for particular parts just because of how I look.”
She adds: “There was this belief that I couldn’t do certain roles. Many also thought that I couldn’t speak in Hindi based on how I look, but I can very well communicate in Hindi. It’s all about perception; I had been stereotyped for years.”
Elli mentions how she has managed to break that bracket: “The industry’s perception of me took time to evolve. But the shift did eventually come, all thanks to OTT platforms that paved the way for us (actors) to try new roles. OTT really helped people see my range. Now filmmakers and casting directors recognize that I can transform myself and do very diverse things.”
Elli says that she finally feels seen for the performer she has always been. “Directors today are more curious about exploring different shades with me. There is a willingness to experiment, and that wasn’t there earlier,” she explains.
Looking back at her journey, she believes her filmography speaks for itself. “When you see the kind of roles I’m being cast in now, I genuinely feel I’ve broken the typecast mould even if it took long.” But Elli is clear that she still has much more to offer. “There’s a whole different side of me that I know I can bring to the screen. I’m just waiting for the right opportunities. I want to do action-packed characters and also play a layered character, something people haven’t seen me in yet,” she ends.
