New Delhi, May 8
Choreographer-dancer Lauren Gottlieb, who made her debut in Hindi cinema in 2013 with “ABCD: Any Body Can Dance,” said that entering Bollywood was a steep learning curve because she was unprepared for the industry's unique pace, expectations, and culture.
Asked what’s one lesson the industry taught her that no one prepared her for, Lauren told: “If I take Bollywood specifically, I’d say the biggest lesson was realizing just how much I didn’t know going in.”
“The inexperience—not just in performing, but in understanding how the industry and India itself worked—was a real wake-up call. I didn’t know who was who, how the timelines worked, what was expected, or where to push versus where to hold back,” she added.
The actress further added: “The hours are long, shoots can stretch way beyond the scheduled time, and there’s just a whole rhythm to it that’s very different from other industries.”
Lauren said in those first few years, she often found herself thinking “Wait, what’s going on?”
“But over time, you just become more attuned to the pace, the process, and the personalities involved. Now I can walk onto a set and think, “It’s all good—it’ll get done,” because I’ve grown into the rhythm of it.”