Shruti Seth on her viral post: Only art can bring us closer in a polarised world

On March 13, actor Shruti Seth took to social media to share a post on the duality of art. “There must be something crazy about the artists; that we wilfully choose a life of uncertainty… We work nights, days, weeks through winters and monsoons and blistering summers. Away from home, from family, from friends and all things familiar. Pushing ourselves to breaking point. All for a piece of art, for a brief moment,” she wrote.

The post has grabbed the attention of many with several of her peers from the film industry sharing and reacting to it including actors Kalki Koechlin and Nithya Menen. “I’ve been acting for 20 years and I still don’t know if I’ll get work tomorrow. Despite that uncertainty, I show up to work, and still derive joy from it. Writing the piece made me realise that. It has definitely struck a chord with many and I’m grateful I could help them find little moments of joy amid chaos,” Seth tells us.

What redefined her thoughts on art is the current situation in the world and her study of art therapy. The Mentalhood actor elaborates, “The world we’re living in today is so torn and polarised and I believe that art can bring people closer. I’m currently studying to become an art based therapist. So, I’ve come to understand and realise the real value of art.”

Spending a day on a film set on a hot sunny afternoon nudged Seth to pen down her thoughts on the process of creating art. “The other day, I noticed a bunch of people huddled together in one tight corner so that they don’t come into the camera. We didn’t have the time to break for lunch and everyone was hungry. They had all been awake since the early hours of morning. Everyone took all those things to their stride for that one moment of fulfilment,” she concludes.