I Saw Myself In Those Characters: Anju Hazarika On Acting, Dance, Tezpur And The Pursuit Of Craft

Some actors stumble into the spotlight by chance. Others spend years quietly preparing for it. Assamese actor and Bihu dancer Anju Hazarika belongs firmly to the second category.

Today, the audience knows her through series and serials such as Janmoni 2023, Birina and Jonalir Akash. Yet her journey began long before the camera arrived. It started with a young girl sitting in front of a television set, becoming emotionally invested in fictional lives and wondering why certain characters felt so familiar.

Speaking to The Story Mug, the young and talented actor reflected on her artistic journey, the influence of family, the lessons theatre taught her and the responsibilities that come with being a public figure in the digital age.

Finding Herself Through Fiction

Long before she stepped onto a stage, Anju Hazarika was drawn to storytelling, when, as a child, she would watch popular Hindi television serials and feel an unusually deep connection with some of the characters. One particular role left a lasting impression.

“I felt like I could see myself in that character. Later, I realised that perhaps this was something I was meant to do,” she recalled.

What began as a fascination gradually turned into a hobby and eventually a career aspiration.

A Family That Encouraged Art

While many families prioritise conventional career paths, Anju Hazarika grew up in a household that embraced art and culture, encouraging its children to engage with creative pursuits from an early age.

Her elder brother’s involvement in theatre introduced her to rehearsals, performances and the magic that unfolded behind the curtains. Watching actors transform themselves into entirely different people fascinated her.

Her mother, a teacher, played an equally significant role.

Speaking about her mother’s role in shaping her artistic journey, Hazarika said it was her mother who ensured that she was constantly exposed to the world of art and culture through workshops, performances and cultural programmes.

“My mother made sure we attended workshops, performances and cultural programmes. Whatever I am today, a large part of the credit goes to her,” Anju said.

For her, art was never a distant concept. It was woven into everyday life.

Education Before Ambition

Unlike many aspiring actors eager to seize opportunities at the earliest chance, Hazarika chose caution over haste.

While continuing her theatre journey, she prioritised her education, eventually completing her Master’s degree before pursuing acting professionally.

Her reasoning was simple.

“If acting didn’t work out, I wanted to ensure I could stand on my own feet.”

The decision reflected both ambition and intellect. Behind the glamour was a young woman determined to build a strong academic foundation before fully committing herself to her artistic aspirations.

Theatre: Her First Classroom

Hazarika’s formal acting journey began in 2016 at Tezpur’s iconic Ban Theatre, a cultural landmark that has nurtured generations of Assamese theatre practitioners.

Theatre, she says, taught her discipline, observation and the art of understanding human emotions. It also prepared her for the transition to screen acting, though she quickly realised that the two mediums demanded different approaches.

“The camera notices even the smallest expression,” she observed.

While theatre often requires actors to project their emotions and physicality to reach audiences seated at the back of an auditorium, screen acting rewards subtlety and restraint.

Yet the young actor believes her years on stage provided a strong foundation for her work in front of the camera.

One aspect of theatre she continues to cherish is the immediacy of audience response.

“When you’re performing live, the audience tells you immediately whether something is working or not. That challenge pushes you towards improvement.”

The Opportunity That Changed Everything

Hazarika’s breakthrough came in 2023 through a talent hunt organised for Janmoni 2023. Recalling the opportunity, she said she had come across an advertisement seeking fresh faces for the serial.

“I saw an advertisement for Janmoni 2023. They were looking for new faces and one of the requirements was familiarity with Bihu dance,” she recalled.

Having trained in and performed Bihu from a young age, Hazarika felt encouraged to audition. She eventually secured a place in the cast and made her television debut in the serial.

The opportunity proved to be a turning point in her career, opening doors to projects such as Birina, Jonalir Akash and the upcoming Assamese feature film Mahabaho Brahmaputra.

Looking back, she views the experience as a reminder that success often arrives when preparation meets opportunity.

Tezpur’s Lasting Influence

Born and brought up in Tezpur, Anju Hazarika considers the city one of the biggest influences on her artistic journey. Growing up in what is often regarded as Assam’s cultural capital meant that art and culture were never distant concepts. They were part of everyday life.

From a young age, she found herself surrounded by workshops, stage performances, literary discussions and cultural gatherings.

The legacies of cultural icons such as Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Bishnu Prasad Rabha were not merely names in textbooks but living influences that continued to shape the city’s cultural consciousness.

Looking back, Hazarika believes Tezpur played a significant role in nurturing her appreciation for Assamese art, literature and heritage.

“Tezpur taught me who these cultural giants were and why their work still matters,” she said.

Even today, despite her growing presence on television and in films, she continues to draw inspiration from the city that shaped her understanding of culture and creativity.

A Character Close To Home

Actors often speak about becoming attached to certain characters, but for Hazarika, one role struck a particularly personal chord. Among the various characters she has portrayed so far, Birina remains one of her favourites—not because it was her most challenging role, but because it reminded her of someone she knows intimately.

The strength, resilience and quiet sacrifices that defined Birina brought back memories of her mother. As she worked on the character, Hazarika found herself drawing from those observations and experiences.

“I could see my mother in that character,” she recalled.

Perhaps that is why the role stayed with her long after the cameras stopped rolling. For Hazarika, Birina was not merely a character on paper. It was a reflection of the kind of strength she had witnessed growing up.

Learning From Criticism

The entertainment industry can be unforgiving, especially for newcomers trying to find their footing. Every performance invites praise from some quarters, and criticism from others, and Hazarika admits that learning to navigate that reality was not always easy.

Like most actors, she found negative comments difficult to accept in the beginning. With time, however, she realised that criticism need not always be viewed as an attack. Sometimes it can be an opportunity to improve.

Today, she tries to look beyond the tone of a comment and focus on its substance. If there is a valid point being made, she prefers to take note of it and work on it rather than dismiss it outright.

“If someone points out a weakness, I would rather work on it for my next project,” she said.

It is a mindset that reflects her broader approach to acting—one centred on learning, growth and continuous self-improvement.

Social Media And Accountability

As someone whose work increasingly places her in the public eye, Hazarika is also mindful of the responsibilities that come with visibility. In an age where opinions can be posted instantly and reach thousands of people within minutes, she believes public figures must exercise a degree of restraint.

That does not mean remaining silent, she clarified. Rather, it means being conscious of how words are received and the influence they can have on others.

Before sharing her views online, she often pauses to consider whether her comments contribute meaningfully to a discussion and whether they might unintentionally affect others.

“It is important to think about the impact of what we say,” she said.

For Hazarika, accountability is not about avoiding opinions; it is about expressing them responsibly.

The Foundation: Dance

Long before acting entered the picture, there was dance.

Hazarika has been associated with Bihu from a young age, and she speaks about it with the kind of affection one reserves for a lifelong companion.

While audiences today recognise her primarily as an actor, she believes many of the qualities that helped her succeed in front of the camera were first developed through dance.

Years of performing taught her discipline, confidence and an understanding of how emotions can be conveyed through movement and expression. In many ways, dance became her first lesson in performance.

Its influence on her career was not merely indirect. When the opportunity for Janmoni 2023 arrived, her familiarity with Bihu dance became one of the factors that worked in her favour.

“Bihu brought me to where I am today,” she said.

Looking back, she sees dance not simply as an artistic pursuit but as the foundation upon which much of her journey has been built.

Into The Future

Although she has already established herself as a familiar face on Assamese television, Hazarika views her journey as only just beginning. There are still characters she wants to play, stories she wants to tell and creative challenges she hopes to embrace.

She finds herself particularly drawn to narratives rooted in Assamese history and mythology. Stories such as Usha-Aniruddha interest her not only because of their cultural significance but also because of the emotional depth they offer performers.

When asked what kind of role she would choose if given complete freedom, her answer revealed a great deal about the kind of actor she hopes to become.

Rather than being confined to a particular genre or character type, she wants roles that allow her to explore the full range of human emotions—joy, sorrow, love, anger, humour and conflict.

After all, it was emotion that first drew her towards storytelling as a child watching television in Tezpur. Years later, it remains the quality she values most in any performance.

And as she continues to take on new projects and challenges, that emotional honesty may well prove to be her greatest strength.

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