Ridhima Pandit reflects on her journey as she returns to TV after five years

One could never expect her to play the vamp but Ridhima Pandit is thrilled that people see potential in her to take on varied roles After becoming a household name with shows like Bahu Hamari Rajnikant 2016 and Khatron Ke Khiladi 9 2019 she disappeared from television for five years The actor was then seen in Netflixrsquos Sikandar Ka Muqaddar 2024 Pandit is now back on TV with Ufffhellip Yeh Love Hai Mushkil as Shabir Ahluwaliarsquos exwife in the popular daily soap In conversation with midday she talks about her character Lata the lack of a godfather in the industry and why she feels she is yet to get her dueExcerpts from the interviewHaving not seen you on television for so long many thought you had shifted focus to other mediums Is that trueNo Irsquom not moving away from any medium I just want to keep working The notion in the industry that if you do TV then you cannot take up other things is untrue My logic is that I am an actor and I need a place to perform Why should I disrespect a medium or use the term ldquomove awayrdquo from a medium that has given me everything Today I am known because of TV So I respect it value it and it has called me back I am again entering peoplersquos hearts homes and televisions every night What else do I wantSo why have you been away from television for so longHonestly I want to do concepts that stand out People still remember me from Bahu Hamari Rajnikant Dance Champions and Khatron Ke Khiladi 9 So my logic is that I take up projects especially on television that are distinct I have no regrets about missing out on any shows I feel I may be a poor judge of character in people but I am wise when it comes to picking work or letting go of work I have done things without any help so sometimes I have felt helpless and directionless The long gap that I took by choice worked for my mental health I do realise that not doing anything at all is also not good but I did not want to take up something that hampered me in any way In a way I am very glad to join this show with the very people who launched me on TVHow does it feel to enter a show midwayI actually did not see it as entering midway The character is so interesting that it felt like it was purely written for me I have never played a negative character So kudos to the makers for imagining their sweet little robot whom they created being able to play this havoccreating character called Lata in the show I think it is logical to enter at any point and create havoc So that is what I am doingWhat was your reaction to the role of LataWhile I am thrilled my grandmother is the most upset because she is so nice just like a child She liked me only as the sweet robot She feels I donrsquot look like a vamp The character is very narcissistic she is beautiful on the outside and extremely ugly on the inside What made her that ugly is what is unravelling in the show Taking this up was challenging because sometimes I donrsquot relate to the dialogues I speak but I am loving it From eyebrowraising to having an effect on the other characters it is a powerful roleDo you feel you are getting your dueI donrsquot think so A lot of people repeatedly get work despite being troublesome and unprofessional So why am I not getting those opportunities I believe the industry operates a lot on luck Getting my first project and it becoming a superhit me becoming a household name mdash where others took years it was instant for me I believe this wait period is my struggleUp NextRidhima Pandit will make her Marathi debut with lsquoPremachi Goshta 2rsquo She also recently shot an advertisement with Ajay DevgnStory from the setClosest to Shabir Ahluwalia who plays advocate Yug on the show Ridhima Pandit shares that the actor is one of her favourites on the set ldquoShabir often cooks for all of us on the set He is such a lovely personrdquo