Avika Gor recently marked a significant milestone in her career. The 27-year-old was invited to a special lunch hosted at PM Modi’s residence in honour of H.E. Mr. Pham Minh Chinh, PM of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to represent the Indian entertainment industry.
Reflecting on the experience, Gor says, “It was definitely a feeling of pride. It validated that I’m on the right path. Such instances give you confidence to continue doing what you believe in.”
Further, with a tone of disbelief in her voice, she says, “I never imagined being invited there would happen so early in my life. I had dreams of being there, speaking about my country, representing the Indian entertainment industry, but all of it happening this early in my career wasn’t in my plans.”
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Her interaction with PM Modi was memorable. She reveals everyone in the room got a chance to interact because there were very few attendees. “I spoke to Modi ji in Gujarati, saying Jai Shri Krishna to him, and he seemed really happy. We have that Gujarat connection,” Gor says, adding, “I also interacted with the Vietnamese PM. The minute we met, he told me ‘of course I recognise you and I absolutely know how important you are to our country’. It was really beautiful.”
The actor, known for TV shows like Balika Vadhu and Sasural Simar Ka, feels that this opportunity highlights the significance of both her and the industry she represents. “We have a huge entertainment industry. We have really successful films and series that travel around the world. It’s a very proud feeling. I have been to Vietnam, Indonesia, Kazakhstan; I have traveled the world to promote my work. And I’ve realised that people do consume and like the idea of entertainment, especially when it comes to Indian entertainment,” she remarks.
Further, sharing that she felt “really proud” of herself while talking to her family about how everything unfolded at the event, Gor says “I remember seeing my father’s face, who was just so overwhelmed with the idea of everything happening so early in my life. It was the proudest moment. There’s a video of my father captured while he was coming to pick me up; it was all so sweet.” She adds, “My grandfather was in the air force; we all felt it would have been amazing if he was alive to see all this.”
Gor also spoke about how relatives have now started valuing what she does more than ever. “I was always working hard, but not everyone sees the value in what I do. However, this has changed perceptions, and I’ve started to receive a different kind of respect [from relatives],” shares the actor.
Recalling her initial thoughts upon receiving the invitation to the PM’s lunch, she admits she didn’t believe it at first. “When I got the first call, I thought somebody was joking. I told my father about the call and that I wasn’t sure. Then I told my dad that I received an email from the Ministry of External Affairs, after which he told me how big of a deal it was,” Gor continues. “In the beginning, I responded by saying that I was in Mumbai, not Delhi, and I wouldn’t be able to make it, but then my dad told me that ‘this doesn’t happen in every actor’s life! I will have to postpone my shoots, do what I got to do, but I need to be there’. That was the push I needed to understand what value it would add to my life.”
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Talking about the memorable moments from the event, she notes, “Everybody was amazed to see someone so young there. A lot of Indian people ended up asking me what my connection was with Vietnam out of curiosity.” She continues, “But the Vietnamese were really excited to see me and a lot of them clicked pictures with me, which they said they wanted to show them to their families.”
“Getting this response from the people of Vietnam was really special because I’ve had that response from Indians all my life, but being in that space with both prime ministers, both of them saying that they recognise me, these things just melt your heart,” she ends.