Animal (2023) might have catapulted Triptii Dimri to mainstream popularity, but it is in films like Dhadak 2 that she feels at ease. Through the story of two lovers, portrayed by Siddhant Chaturvedi and Dimri, Shazia Iqbal’s directorial venture takes a hard look at casteism prevalent in the country. In a way, it is along the lines of Dimri’s early movies Bulbbul (2020) and Qala (2022) — each a piece of art that also has a social message. Does she find it hard to strike a balance between these and mainstream films, especially since she hails from a non-industry background?

(From left) Triptii Dimri with Siddhant Chaturvedi in Dhadak 2

“You have to not think about it too much because then you will take away from the story,” she starts. “There is always a reason behind saying yes to a project. Most of the time the reason is not that the film will have a good box-office run, or that it will get a lot of eyeballs. It is because the character excites you. As outsiders, you don’t get opportunities again and again. Today we have this film, tomorrow we’ll have another, but after that, you have to work hard for the next because if you go wrong twice with your films, you are gone. That is the reality. So, you have to have full faith in the story and your characters, and keep the peripheral noise out of the window.”