A hit series can be a game-changer. For Aanchal G Singgh, Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein (2022) was that show, changing her career overnight as she played the antagonist in the Tahir Raj Bhasin and Shweta Tripathi Sharma-led drama. But as she awaits the series’ second season, something about the success nags her. Singgh says the adulation doesn’t feel genuine to her as she feels people react to her popularity today, not quality of work. “I haven’t enjoyed the perception change from the industry. It’s not that I was less hard-working before. But people don’t want to see that hard work when you are new. Now, after one hit, even the smallest thing is complimented. I went to dub for an ad, where all I said was, ‘Hmmm’, and they complimented me on it. This change in perception bothers me,” she says.

A still from Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein