India, April 18 -- Main aisa nahi sochta thha till we started doing this job and we realised that it is actually tough. We had been trying to set up a production house since 2018, but it didn't materialise, and then the pandemic happened. Last year, we thought, let's give it another try, because there are so many stories we want to tell. That's how we started our production house, Kampa. The name comes from the initials of our mothers' names: Kamlesh Yadav's 'Kam' and Papri Paul's 'Pa', respectively. Then we got a one-page idea for Toaster. We both liked it, developed it, and Netflix came on board. This film is solely produced by Patralekhaa under our production house. I then reached out to friends: (director-choreographer) Farah Khan ma'am and (actors) Abhishek Banerjee, Archana Puran Singh ji, and Sanya Malhotra. All of them were kind enough to come on board. I'm not! There's a thin line between majboori and kanjoosi. If you don't have money, then you would have a banana instead to satiate the hunger; that's majboori, not kanjoosi. So yes, majboori bohot rahi hai jeevan mein, kanjoosi nahi. No, I was never close to giving up. I was sure I wanted to be in this city and chase my dreams, no matter what. My mother had unbelievable faith that things would work out, sooner or later. It isn't like you get your first film and life changes overnight. I got paid Rs.11,000 for my first film, Love Sex Aur Dhokha (2010), and I didn't earn well for many years after that. I also had a difficult childhood; I wasn't raised with money. The only thing that kept me going was a positive attitude. I was always surrounded by good friends and my mother, so I was always surrounded with wonderful people. Masti mein hi pura bachpan nikal gaya, kyunki hum bacche thhe. I got into dance, martial arts, and then acting on stage. But when you come to Mumbai, you realise you're all alone. That's when it hits you, 'now what?' Financially, it's tough too. I never had a plan B. Times are very different now; we're living in the age of social media. But when I came to Mumbai, I saw many people who didn't have any kind of experience doing stage, theatre, workshops or film school. Sometimes people are told, "You look good, try acting," but I feel that isn't the right way. Today, people are celebrating talent, but if you don't know anything, you'll be lost. Mumbai gives you freedom, but how you use that freedom makes or breaks you. Be careful about your company, stay inspired, and never forget why you came here. If you know your job, there are enough opportunities now. To be free. I remember watching him in Hera Pheri (2000) and I was zapped. We had seen him in action and drama films, but his shift to comedy was a game-changer. His comic timing, the way he uses his body, face, and muscles, is amazing. That's something I've learned from him. I've also learned a lot from (actor) Irrfan Khan sir; his comic timing was unmatchable. As long as I know my truth, nothing bothers me. People talk about everyone; it's not like they want to target any one person in particular. Social media has given us the power to comment on anyone. But I don't take it seriously, because I also get a lot of love. I focus on that....