Interview
Nidhi Uttam Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai fame shares her journey.
Nidhi Uttam, who is an actress working in Indian television industry and film industry for more than a decade. She rose to fame as Nandini in Asia’s longest running show on Star plus “Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai” . She was also seen in Anubhav Sinha‘s award-winning film Thappad in a crucial role.Being a trained martial artist, a stress level athlete and a freelance graphic designer.
Nidhi shared her journey and important tips to enter and retain acting in the industry.
Can you tell us about your journey till here. As you have reached great heights, we are curious to know what’s your story?
Nidhi Uttam: I’m from a place named Kanpur. After finishing my 12th grade year, I moved to Mumbai to finish my education. I came here to study graphic design and animation. I had just been living in Mumbai for around six months when I was chosen as the lead actor for one of the shows produced by great producer Ekta Kapoor. When I was asked to join in the programme, Kasturi, I was quite nervous because acting is not something that most people outside of the industry do right away.
When I initially declared that I couldn’t pursue acting, everyone told me that I had been chosen and couldn’t refuse Ekta Kapoor. I spoke with my teachers at that time, and they all advised me not to say no since Ekta Kapoor has given you the opportunity, which is a dream for many other people. Once I started working in the field, I learned how important it was. Since I’ve been working in this field for around 15 years, it was a major turning point in my life.
What are your personal favourite TV shows you did so far?
Nidhi Uttam: Our first show is always special, in my opinion, and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai was the one where I received the most love. However, I was very young when I began, and throughout my acting career, from the first performance I did till today I have made really wonderful friends with whom I still keep in touch. As a non-actor, it served as a form of learning and stepping stone for me as I progressively learned how to act while performing.
In terms of movies, Thappad has been my largest endeavour to date. My next movie, Chaar Lugayi, which features me as the protagonist . In this movie everyone will see a different side of me. It is scheduled for release in February 2023.
What do you think is the greatest strength as an actor?
Nidhi Uttam: It’s important to be consistent. Just don’t give up after one setback. You must maintain high ambitions and consistency in this field that, in my opinion, is the most crucial factor, along with maintaining focus. From the outside, this industry appears to be very glittery and glamorous, but the reality is that you have to work day and night. This requires more effort and concentration because timings vary depending on the shoot and there are more hours spent working. Additionally, there are no leaves,, especially when working on a television programme.
What is one thing that you consider as greatest accomplishment as an actor?
Nidhi Uttam: In terms of acting, last year has been really wonderful for me. Any actor’s desire is to appear on billboards and other advertising. This year, I ran a significant campaign and served as the face of the DLF mall in Nodia. I also did digital advertising there, and because I was the face of the mall, I appeared on all of the billboards. It was my greatest success.Throughout the span of these 15 years, I also had numerous other successes that made my family proud of me.
What do you think is the most important aspect of a good performance ?
Nidhi Uttam: I think the most crucial factor in performance is whether you can create an emotional response from the audience. Any type of acting scene would do, but whatever it is, the audience must be impressed by your performance.
Was acting always your passion, even since you were a child?
Nidhi Uttam: No, there was never any doubt about whether I liked acting or not because I was solely interested in sports and school. I’m more into sports since I’ve competed at the state level. I used to practise martial arts, but I hardly ever watched television. For example, when schoolgirls would talk about TV shows, I had nothing to do because we weren’t even allowed to watch it at home. When I first received an offer to appear in a show, I was very hesitant because I was so completely cut off from the media at the time. However, I firmly believe that God had other plans for me.
When did you decide that you want to become an actor?
Nidhi Uttam: Even after my first performance, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to continue acting. You won’t have time for anything else when you work for a production company called Balaji. As a result, I was unable to complete the coursework for which I had travelled there and paid all fees. Since I didn’t know what I would do after my first show, I was constantly concerned about when I would finish my course and my studies at that time.
My teachers at the time were a huge source of encouragement, telling me not to worry because what I was doing was the fulfilment of many people’s dreams. And in 2007 people had trouble finding employment in the animation and graphics industries. I think that god gave me a golden spoon as a blessing. I was earning a respectable sum of money and getting show after show, which gave me hope and encouragement.
What do you think you would have chosen as a career if not acting?
Nidhi Uttam: Either I would have been an animator or the owner of an advertising firm. Learning animation and creating animated films were my objectives.
How do you feel when you make your fans become engrossed in the lives of your characters?
Nidhi Uttam: I consider myself fortunate since I receive a lot of support from my fans. Most people recognise me as Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’s Nandini. Recently, I travelled to the small village of Mathura to film for a new movie. I saw hundreds of people coming out to see me on their terraces. This kind of fan love is so touching, I think I must have done something good to earn it. It is also motivating because it inspires you to work harder on your subsequent endeavour.
Every industry, including the entertainment industry, is full of competition; what do you do to stand out amidst competition?
Nidhi Uttam: Competition, in my opinion, never dies and really makes you a better worker. Competition is necessary. Certainly, there is a lot of competition in our industry. There are a lot of fresh people enter the industry. People are hiring actors for less money, which may be a challenger, but competition usually arises between the performances of two individuals; if you can establish your calibre there, there is no stopping you.
Which types of acting do you feel you are most suited for?
Nidhi Uttam: I’m pretty good at doing emotional romantic scenes, but I’d like to focus on comic scenes because that’s a genre I haven’t really explored.
How do you react when you receive a negative review about a performance?
Nidhi Uttam: Though I can honestly say that as of now, I haven’t gotten any bad reviews, if I do, I’ll accept them positively. Constructive criticism help you develop your character. Feedback is a pretty crucial part of our journey.
Your longest-running show was Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star-plus. Tell us something about it.
Nidhi Uttam: I spent 12 years as a cast member of Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. I had about 500 auditions before this programme and was unemployed for about seven months. However, when I showed up for the Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai audition, they informed me that I had been chosen for the role of Nandini.The best part was they told me I was the only candidate they had considered for the role.
My character is completely different from the part or character I had portrayed. However, they promised me that they would remove my disabled character after three months, but once the show premiered and viewers began to enjoy my performance, they decided to keep my role for a very long period. I used to occasionally get frustrated with my part! But over time I came to understand that Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is the reason I’m getting all the affection. I’ve actually encountered handicapped girls on numerous times or at events. They came up to me and told me that I inspire them and make them feel valuable.
Have you ever had to enact a character that was in opposition to your values and morals?
Nidhi Uttam: I have not, and I have played positive roles. I’m picky when it comes to choosing a role. I receive a lot of requests for crime shows and other things, but I don’t do them. I haven’t played any negative roles up to this point. I’m willing to do negative roles as well, but if the script changes to a more good component in the future, that’s a different story. An actor needs to be prepared to take on any character.
Any tips or suggestions which you would like to give to the people who are pursuing this field?
Nidhi Uttam: If you’re interested in acting, I have one extremely crucial piece of advice for you. ‘ Always have a backup plan’. Since I’m an actor, I always wanted to work in graphics, I didn’t let my course in graphics go to waste. I now work as a freelance graphic designer. I keep learning how to use my programme by watching tutorial videos. You can use these backup plans if you don’t have any upcoming tasks or shows. Learn something new and work on it rather than falling into depression or doing something else.
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Meenal Jain- Voice that reaches souls
Meenal Jain is a fantastic singer who started her music career from being a girl who participated in Indian Idol 2, who made it to the top 6 finalists. And has been seen in many other reality shows such as Music Masti and Group. And here she is inspiring each and every one of us. Let us look at what Meenal has to say in this exclusive interview.
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Q1). Tell us about your journey, you participated in Indian Idol 2 and now Meenal Jain is a singer.
Meenal Jain: I came to Mumbai just for the music and to be something in Music. I was 10 years old and I was with Suresh Ji for a few months. Being the youngest sibling in my family, I’ve always been pampered by my mother which was the reason why I couldn’t live there, as it was a Gurukul system there. I’m basically from Indore, I went back and came to Mumbai. There’s a saying “jaha ka dana pani likha hai, waha pe aa hi jate ho aap kaise bhi” There I found my first ever Guru- Shri. Manohar Raiji & Smt. Krishna Raiji who agreed to teach music to me.
And the moment they came to know that financially I’m not able to sustain the expenses of Mumbai along with my family’s expenses living in Indore, they never talked about the money required to learn music ever again. I believe finding a Guru like them is no coincidence, I might’ve done some good deed, good karma to find them.
Also the age when I started learning music was perfect as there’s no burden of any kind of responsibilities. I just have to study and Riyaz. And that’s how Indian Idol came into my life, before that I participated in all the competitions whether it be in Jai Hind College, or Malhar etc. I studied in Mithibai College and by god’s grace I always won. And Indian Idol 2 was such a different experience, the reality show where I have to put make ups. I’ve never put on makeup before, or known how the cameras work, where to look. You have to take care of a few things, present yourself glamorous on stage,and that is it.
Q2). Were there anybody before you, from your family who played music or are you the first one?
Meenal Jain: In my family, it is like they have a good taste in music- my father and my uncles but they never learned music. Music as a profession… nope. I’m a Jain Marwadi Malvi from Indore so I don’t think there’s any kind of connection with music here. I think my father was always meant to be an artist or a sportsperson. When he heard me singing for the first time he thought that I have something, some blessings for music. So he thought what can he do? All he can do is to make sure I get proper guidance and knowledge about music.
Becoming a successful singer was a different thing. Because today’s definition of success is getting 1 million views on the songs, reels that I post or being popular on social media. I’m a little laid back in social media though I try to push myself. I don’t see it as wrong but that is how I am. Off camera, I’m a very very jovial person but when it comes to camera I’m a little laid back in all these things.
Q3). At what age did you realize that you are ready to step into reality shows?
Meenal Jain: The time when Indian Idol 1 came I could have participated but I think it’s good that I didn’t participate because I still have a little bit of time. As I said I participated & performed in Mithibai since the first year itself but when it comes to reality shows, it’s a whole different thing. I think in today’s music world, especially for female singers, they want us to look like Kareena Kapoor and sing like Lataji, which is difficult. And our main thing is singing, so that should be our focus. This has been divided into different departments because being an actor is not easy. If you’ve naturally been that beautiful it is a different thing but to maintain that needs a lot of time and effort. Everything takes time and giving time to music is never enough.
People are always in a hurry to finish tasks, going from one reality show to the other. And they expect us to have loads of money which I wish and pray that we have. One of my friends used to say that it is necessary to be in love with music. Loving something takes time, whether it be a thing or a person, profession, or passion, it takes time. One should understand that the only competition is you, yourself. Because if you want to learn something, it needs time.
Q4). How did you manage to learn singing along with your school and college life?
Meenal Jain: That credit goes to my mother and my father. Especially my mother, she stayed with me. As I said, that was the age where I had no other responsibilities on my shoulders. The younger audience who wants to ask me about singing, I would always say take advantage of that age. You can practice singing, do Riyaz for more than 10 hours. As you have your parents, no need to worry about earnings, etc and your life is easy. Trust me these are extremely practical things which I’m talking about. Because today if I want to do Riyaz for 5 plus hours, I won’t be able to do it. As I have ten thousand other things to finish… I have responsibilities. And that was the time where I had no responsibilities.
Q5). Being from a different state & place, it is very difficult to manage our voice tone. How did you manage your voice tone?
Meenal Jain: Voice? It’s the same. As I said, I used to do Riyaz when I was younger, I have put a lot of time and effort… which helps me even today. That was a really important part of my life. And I really wish I could’ve given more time when I was younger, then I would be much better now. The more you practice and love your voice, the more others will love it.
Q6). Many viewers want you to sing, but before that I want to ask a question, what are the genres or languages in which you sing?
Meenal Jain: Honestly, I’m a singer. And I would love to try all the genres possible in this lifetime. I don’t want to restrict myself. I especially love to sing Ghazal, Sufi and of course old songs. But I also equally enjoy dance numbers. I want to sing everything… As a singer,I have sung in Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi of course,.. Also I love western songs.
Q7). What encouraged you to work so hard for you to make your dreams come true?
Meenal Jain: You get inspired by a lot of people in your life… of course the people who are already there, who you look up to as successful musicians and singers. But yes, my parents, my sisters, my guru inspired me. And my friends,they do so well in their lives and inspire me to do better everyday. We tend to learn some things from various people in our lives. And yes we somehow find inspiration… if we look at it, and use the inspiration, we tend to do better things than we already are.
Q8). From your family someone got inspired by you and started a career in music.
Meenal Jain: There is a nephew of mine. He really wants to learn music but of course he is studying as well. However, he is also doing music of his own. His name is Yash. And I’m so proud of him because he’s trying to find a way on his own.
Q9). What is your personal favorite genre in which you like singing?
Meenal Jain: As I said, I like to sing in every genre.. It mostly depends on my mood, sometimes I feel like I want to sing old songs and sometimes I just want to sing dance numbers… upbeat songs.. There’s no particular genre, it is all about mood.
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Shridhar Mankar who fairly is regarded as the saviour by many Computer Science students and related branch students, it does justice to his work! From making their academics easier with 5 minute videos to helping quick revise some topics this 5 minute engineer is a boon to the online community of students who prefer learning complex concepts through youtube. And with this interview you will know why he enjoys so much following and love from his students and subscribers!
- How has your Engineering background influenced the content you published?
I finished my engineering degree with a background in computer science, and now that I’m talking about my channel, 5 Minutes Engineering, I aim to provide answers to questions concerning CS. Since it took me 4 years to complete my CS engineering, I strive to provide solutions in my channel in a matter of five minutes. Both are connected because I am applying what I have learned over the course of my four-year journey and providing topic-related solutions within five minutes in the most easy manner. Additionally, I picked up time management skills while studying engineering, and I try my best to represent that in all of my videos. so that it takes less time for those watching, who also get the solution, and can also enjoy learning from it.
- What difficulties did you overcome to transition from Engineering to Content Creation?
I absolutely will not deny that it wasn’t difficult for me. Since it was something I had never done before, it was challenging. I had a difficult time changing from being an engineer to a content creator. I was the first person in my family to enter this industry, therefore I knew less about it and there was no instructor or someone to guide. Additionally, there are many challenging phases that people go through when you begin something new. However, I wanted to start a new and fresh concept for the people that could help in their growth as professionals. In the beginning, it was challenging to record using my camera because at that time, not everyone could afford one. I used to record it using my mobile instead, but it was challenging to look at the camera constantly, so I used to keep my toy nearby while recording and used to teach it so that I could record my topics’ related solutions. Students used to visit my channel throughout examination season, and that gave me the inspiration to keep going. It’s my turn to help the students in the finest and simplest manner possible. It was definitely challenging, but I’m glad to see that it benefits so many people broadly. I started this during my third year of college engineering, and I plan to grow my channel enormously.
- Could you briefly describe your college life?
Speaking of my college experience, I actually started crying during the first lecture on my first day of college. I cried because I was unable to respond to my professor’s basic conceptual questions on computer science. I wasn’t even sure I understood the questions he was asking at the time. due to the fact that I completed my 12th grade education through PCMB and had no prior experience of computer science. Above that, I noticed that my classmates were answering questions with thorough justifications and even engaging in debate with the professor. I got scared when I saw the scene in my class, but I didn’t give up; I kept working on myself and began making changes. Because of my persistence, I have reached this point in my life where I am doing interviews and people are watching my videos and learning from them. I went from being a student who struggled to understand basic computer science engineering topics to now making videos on YouTube and assisting many students in passing from it. All of this is a result of my perseverance and mentality of never giving up on myself. I was completely focused on my studies during my time in college, so I didn’t participate in any cultural activities and, when I did, it was only to enjoy as an audience. I ranked among the top students in my department. I first started interacting with people when I went for my masters.
- Which of your YouTube-related experiences have you found to be the most rewarding, and how have those experiences benefited your life and career?
YouTube has given me a lot of things. First of all, it has given my life direction in ways I could never have imagined. In addition, while working on it, I have learnt a lot from YouTube. I’ve discovered through YouTube that I can be a teacher who can simplify complex concepts. I used to teach the subjects during exam time, so learners would write and do well on their exams. Therefore, I then considered turning everything I had learned into an audio-visual format that would be helpful to many students taking exams. There is no alternative for YouTube, in my opinion, and it is the finest platform for those looking to start for a larger audience. It is the most priceless compliment a student can give to a teacher, and YouTube has made it possible for me every time I post a video and get to see those three magical words, “thank you sir.” When you receive feedback from others, it greatly motivates you to work more. For this reason, I am truly thankful to God for the learner’s feedback that I am currently receiving. YouTube has been extremely beneficial to me.
- What are your YouTube channel’s future goals, and how do you see its content evolving over the coming years?
We need to keep up with the times in this fast-paced world. As you can see from my youtube videos, I attempt to teach topics simply but in a more practical approach because students are more engaged in practical ways than in other ways. This also applies to the teaching profession. We must remain current in teaching as well, first in terms of knowledge, then in terms of upcoming new technology, and finally in terms of curriculum. As I previously stated, if you compare my current videos to those from the past, you will see a difference in the amount of practical advice I tend to give with conceptual solutions. I constantly work to integrate new technology and curriculum updates as the students become more involved. I’m working on it and will continue to work on it because the process is ongoing.
- What made you want to pursue a career in engineering, and how did you begin?
I’ve never considered becoming an engineer, and when I was younger, I didn’t even know what engineering was, so I didn’t consider it. However, I achieved grades above 90% in both maths and biology during my 12th grade year. People assume that if you are good at biology you will enter the medical field, and if you are good at maths you will enter the engineering field because maths is the dominant subject there. After giving it some thought, I decided on engineering because I had read that while medical required a large budget, engineering could also be accomplished on a smaller budget. This was my only goal, therefore I chose engineering with the idea that I would find employment after finishing my studies. But after enrolling in engineering, I discovered that we must specialise in a specific area. There were many alternative areas, but I decided on computer science because everyone around me told me it had a wide range of opportunities. As I previously stated, when I chose computer science as my area of speciality, I knew nothing about it. However, because of my persistence, I am now the person teaching on this subject.
- What led to the start of 5 min Engineering ?
5 minutes engineering has a pretty interesting backstory, When I was in my third year of college and it was examination time. I used to study everything at home before coming, and I never saved anything for the last minute. In order to ask me to clarify a few issues to them before the tests began, my classmates would gather around me at that time. I used to explain things to them so they could score marks. This was routine, but one day my peers informed me that although you were explaining concepts to them, there must be more people outside of this college campuses who needed assistance. They suggested ideas for videos because I had real proof—my classmates—that the topics I was discussing would help them do well on their exams. I can even make videos about the topics and assist people after that. I started making videos and posting them on YouTube because, as I’ve already stated, it’s the finest platform for reaching a wider audience. I didn’t receive much feedback at first, but as soon as the examinations started, my videos received a lot of views. At that time, I had only posted 25 videos, but I still received a lot of views during exam time. I was inspired to work harder after that. People began to give me positive feedback and create memes. The journey that I began when I was in my third year of college is still going strong and will be working on it much more effectively.
- How do you bring your expertise to your videos?
I create information in a way that requires that it be knowledgeable, simple to grasp, and short to create. I make an effort to create videos that students won’t view under stress but instead learn from in a more efficient and entertaining manner. The planning, updating, searching for examples, and creation of visualisations that take place behind the scenes are what give the camera its simplicity and flexibility. My whole focus is on making sure that the students understand the material on a deep level, especially so they will never forget it and so they can achieve good grades. Since the name of my channel is “5 Minutes Engineering,” it is maintained in a way that considers people’s mindsets. They would assume that it would be simple and quick because it only takes five minutes. It then says engineering, indicating that I will solely cover engineering-related topics in my five-minute presentation. However, because some topics are too broad and can be challenging to cover in five minutes, we still provide the best answer we can.
- Who is your favourite youtuber ?
I typically watch the videos of one particular YouTuber, whose channel is called Craylyf Rohit. He is Rohit Sharma in real life, and he is one of the persons whose videos I enjoy watching. I spoke with him and found him to be such a wonderful person. He tries to portray a cheerful existence through his vlogs, plays practical jokes, and engages viewers in his work. And this kind of content is something that people nowadays actually need. I like viewing his video, and he is like a genuinely nice person.
