Prajakta Koli on why you should never shy away from chasing your dreams

Actor and digital content creator Prajakta Koli loves celebrating herself, and that’s what makes her #MoreThanPretty with @mango.

Cosmo: When you look back, what are you most proud of? 

Prajakta Koli: “I am most proud about my decision to quit radio and start my own YouTube channel. It’s strange how I grew up thinking that I can only be a radio jockey. I didn’t have a backup plan—I was too arrogant. My plan was to become the best radio jockey in this country…but that lasted till the time I became an RJ because I was terrible at it! In fact, I was so bad at the job that I got fired. And eventually, the day came when I mustered up the courage to quit radio for good. So I am very proud of the 21-year-old Prajakta who made this decision.” 

C: What advice would you like to give to people who are afraid to chase their dreams and go after what they want? 

PK: “A very close friend of mine [Mithila Palkar] talks beautifully about how it’s okay to not have a plan all the time, which has helped me tremendously. Another thing which helped me grow was removing apprehensions, especially ones associated with gender. Many times, as a woman, we sit back and think ‘Will I be able to do this…because I am a woman?’ or ‘Am I capable enough to do this?’. I remember not having a single conversation in my house that would have been different if I was not a girl. A lot of these conversations become much easier when you remove gender from the equation, and you approach situations and life as a human being, and not as a man or a woman. Being self-aware can do wonders for you.”

C: Is it tough putting yourself out there every single day? 

PK: “Even today, after being in the public eye for so long, I get overwhelmed! I feel like nothing prepares you for a job like this—there’s no blueprint for it. As an actor and creator, everyone’s journey is so different…and while we all face similar hurdles, the path is never the same. 

I have made peace with the fact that I’ll never completely feel confident, and I like that about my job because it doesn’t get monotonous that way. I’m always on my toes, I get jitters…and I like that. Online feedback does have a lot of criticism, which I really appreciate because there is no other way I’ll get any perspective on the content I’m putting out. One of the best things about a digital platform is that your audience is blatantly honest with you. I don’t deal with baseless hate because it’s not my labour, I have worked very hard and I still continue to do so every day. So I don’t waste time on something which does not add value to my performance. 

C: Lastly, what are your hopes for the future? 

PK: “Growing up, I had planned out my entire life for myself. I wouldn’t dare to try anything new, which sadly, backfired for me. There is a strong chance that I walked past many opportunities. So when I started making content online, I promised myself to never make plans. I don’t want to know what my five-year plan is or what I’m going to do next. My job is wild, and there is no way I can tame it, and that’s the beauty of it. I just hope that there are a lot more challenges in store for me…I want to try a lot of things!” 

C: What does the word pretty mean to you? 

PK: “The word pretty for me is ‘happy’. I find the prettiest smiles and the prettiest eyes when they are smiling.”