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Rati Pandey, the effervescent actress known for her memorable roles in Indian television, is gearing up for an exciting reunion with her former Miley Jab Hum Tum co-star, Arjun Bijlani, in an upcoming series. Best recognized for her portrayal of Nupur Bhushan in the iconic youth drama, Rati has always been celebrated for her versatility, having played a plethora of characters from the bubbly Nupur to the determined Anusuya in Porus. Rati Pandey opens up on her upcoming project, and tells us more about her role of Anika.
After a significant hiatus, what inspired you to make your comeback with this particular project?
I was never on a sabbatical from my work I have been constantly rolling and working these years, though not on television but been busy shooting for my released and upcoming films. Well when I was approached for this project, I was excited to know that I have to shoot for just 4-5 days and I also liked the concept, that it is supposedly an audio series which might turn into web series if the response is good, and when I came to know that Arjun and I have been approached for it then it added to my excitement and I couldn’t say no!
Fans are already excited to see their Mayank and Nupur together onscreen again. What was it like reuniting with Arjun Bijlani after 14 years? How has your personal and professional relationship evolved?
I know our viewers have been waiting for our reunion desperately but we both would have loved it more if it would be Miley Jab Hum Tum season 2, but it was very nostalgic sharing the screen together after so long. Both of us have evolved over the years but the dedication and hardworking nature towards our work is the same. I really had a good time shooting with him again, and we used to recall our MJHT experiences and cherish it in our talks everyday. We are very comfortable working with each other then and now too.
What life experiences are you able to bring into your portrayal of Anika that you couldn’t before with previous characters?
I am very different from Anika in real life. The only thing I can say is that I got the opportunity to style myself in a different avatar be it costumes, body language, behaviour, mindset, even the story plot, so all over a different character which I never played before. On the other hand I experienced and explored a different side of me while portraying Anika and which was the demand of the character.
Do you feel any pressure to meet or exceed the expectations set by your previous work?
If I feel pressure to meet or exceed my expectation by my previous work then people wouldn’t approach me for work. I know actors get tagged by the character that they did before and removing that tag is a big task and you can only erase this myth by doing different work and proving your worth every time, which I have been doing all these years, so ultimately it’s your choice, I never choose any work under pressure.
What changes would you like to see in the industry regarding roles for women in their 30s and beyond?
Well of course, television needs to change their pattern of the same old woman oriented stories of ‘abla nari’ and a story line with kitchen politics and saas-bahu sagas, rest there are better opportunities outside television for actors who are beyond their 30s, with larger perspectives and sensible roles, good story lines etc. We have lot of OTT platforms and nowadays a lot of people are also making a lot of movies and short movies with a good plot.
It was fabulous chatting to the incredible actress and with this venture, fans can anticipate witnessing Rati Pandey‘s evolution as an actress, promising a performance that blends nostalgia with innovation!
