For someone who shot to fame in the Telugu film industry with her debut offering Arjun Reddy (2017), Shalini Pandey’s Bollywood journey hasn’t been what she expected. The actor’s maiden Hindi film, Jayeshbhai Jordaar (2022) opposite Ranveer Singh, had all the makings of a dream launch, but had an underwhelming run. She admits it left her “heartbroken”. “Some people liked the film, some just didn’t—as simple as that. I cried for many days. It was a big deal for me to be part of a Yash Raj movie, to have a co-actor like Ranveer and to work with the best cast and crew. I don’t come from a film family. I didn’t know it would break my heart so badly. I was not prepared for it,” says the actor. However, she views this experience as a crucial lesson. “When I look at it now in retrospect, it let me loose [and I realised] that nothing is in my control.”

A still from Jayeshbhai Jordaar