Mumbai: Celine Tengam Koyu, who appears in Aspirants 3, is making her mark in the industry by trusting her instincts, staying honest, and always looking to grow. She says that having choices early in a career is often a luxury. “Where we come from, we don’t get to make choices, we do not have that option. However, I try as much as I can to always do something new on screen,” she says.
Celine pays close attention to avoid repeating herself and has found her own way to spot it. “When I feel like I have done this before, that’s when I know it’s getting repetitive. That’s when I try to change small details in the character to break the pattern,” she explains. Even small changes, she says, can make a role feel new.
She approaches acting by exploring and taking risks. “Yes, of course, I seek roles that challenge me. To become a good actor, I have to break myself in pieces—the more I break and explore, the better I’ll become,” she shares.
Off screen, Celine puts a lot of effort into her craft. She writes stories and creates characters on her own. “I write stories, build a character and work on it myself. I often talk a lot in front of the mirror too—it might be peculiar, but it really helps,” she admits.
She is also aware of how important representation is, especially for the Northeast. “I feel representing NE on screen in its real essence is a big responsibility. No disrespect to anyone, but I try to avoid any Chinese/Japanese stereotype-based characters,” she says firmly.
She doesn’t let audience expectations bother her. “I don’t feel pressure. I know my well-wishers want the best for me, and I hope I can live up to that by doing meaningful work,” she says.
