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.
We hope you found interview of Nidhi, Uttam interesting as well as useful for more such interviews head onto
If you watch reels all day we are sure you have once in your scrolling journey came across Rajesh Yadav and if you binge-watch OTT content every day and Campus Diaries is your favourite show then you must be friendly with Sandy! Paradox gets candid and stocks up the inspo from none other than Rajesh Yadav!
1) When did you begin creating material professionally? Was there ever a spontaneous notion or incident that altered your perception of content creation as a profession?
Rajesh Yadav: In December 2015 I started making content, and by God’s grace, my first video drew a big audience. My second video later went viral, making the characters well-known. As my first video went viral, I was motivated to work even harder on my content creation and no longer had to worry about making this my career.
2) Were there any other role models you admired before beginning your journey?
Who motivated you to keep going?
Rajesh Yadav: I liked watching TVF and AIB’s funny and caustic videos before I started working in this field. After seeing their work, I became a fan and started making videos.
3) When did your life change for the better?
Rajesh Yadav: Creating my first video marked a turning moment in my life because I had never before considered a career in the arts or as a content developer. Although I didn’t have much experience in this sector while I was in college. I joined a theatre organization because I had some free time, and I worked there on the weekends.
4) How did you find acting as Sandy in the Campus diaries?
Rajesh Yadav: Sandy from Campus Diaries was my first role in a web series. Due to his many varied characteristics, including the fact that he begins as a friend and ends up as a villain, Sandy is an extremely distinctive character. I had never portrayed a somewhat pessimistic role before. For the first time, I had the opportunity to participate in something brand-new; perhaps the second season will have even more surprises.
5) Whoever would you like to work with if you had the chance to work with any artist in the world, and why?
Rajesh Yadav: Shahrukh Khan is the person I would choose to collaborate with if given the chance. Shahrukh Khan is someone we have all admired and been inspired by since we were young kids, no matter where he is today. I’ve wanted to meet Shahrukh Khan since I was a young child, and if I ever had the chance to work with anyone I wish, Shahrukh Khan would be my first choice.
6) What difficulties did you face at the beginning of your journey?
Rajesh Yadav: The major obstacle I had to overcome at the beginning of my adventure was learning how to produce original and creative videos for the audience. My goal was to come up with concepts that I might potentially employ in novel ways over the long term rather than to produce something that couldn’t be used in the future. Thankfully, I had only encountered these challenges in my first video.
7) Your thoughts? Is that your greatest success to date?
Rajesh Yadav: Any success I may have feels enormous to me as a regular person who enjoys watching superstars and I always had fantasies about meeting them. Nevertheless, now that I’ve recently collaborated with Nawazuddin Siddiqui, communicating and working with them. It is an accomplishment. After following him in college and attempting to meet him, it’s an enormous accomplishment for me to be able to communicate and work with superstars.
8) What is your greatest professional goal?
Rajesh Yadav: We are all aware that every one of us has different goals. My current objective is to play the main character in a movie or web series so that I may discover my talent and exhibit it to others. This is my current objective, and after I reach it, I’ll think about pursuing some more challenging objectives.
9) How have you found performing and writing for MensXP? It is a truly new platform that requires robust connectivity in order to function.
Rajesh Yadav : Four years of working with MensXP has been a wonderful experience. You can work there with complete creative freedom whether you’re writing or acting. It’s critical that you are given the freedom to complete your task on your schedule without interruption. As a result of the drastically different environment you find yourself in, the genre is quite varied and contains humor.
10) What is the final message you would like to convey to your supporters and well-wishers?
Rajesh Yadav: I can only advise my well-wishers to take care of themselves. In this society when everyone is scrambling for something, we all neglect to take care of our physical and mental health. Sometimes we continue to put our physical health first while ignoring our mental health. I, therefore, urge every one of my well-wishers to take care of both themselves and others around them.
For more such interviews:
Anuj Saini a pre-dominant face of advertising industry is ruling the Indian entertainment industry. Recently he was seen in Gandhi Godse Ek Yudha as character of Naren . He also featured alongside actresses like Jacqueline Fernandez in Mere Angne Mein and Dhvani Bhanushali in Vaaste. he is also seen in many advertisements which includes KFC, Sprite, Nivea, Cadbury,Tata and other known brands.
When did you start your career as an actor?
Anuj Saini: After graduating with a degree in civil engineering, I moved to Mumbai and began my acting career there in 2017.
How has your experience been in the advertising industry? You have been their favourite face for years.
Anuj Saini: Advertising is quite competitive; for a single ad, about 5000 candidates audition, but only one girl and one male are chosen. I’ve spent 6 to 8 hours working on a clothing advertisement set, and I love it. Once we start producing advertising, it’s wonderful, and I get to enjoy creating television commercials.
Just keep trying, improving, and being patient are key characteristics in this field.
What was your first show and how was your first experience working in that show?
Anuj Saini: It was a music video for the song VAASTE that I appeared in. That was my very first acting experience, and it was a great one. The great Rajkumar Santoshi sir’s Gandhi Vs. Godse, my debut movie, will be released in theatres across India next month
As acting is not a cup of tea for everyone! How did you know that you can do it as an actor?
Anuj Saini: It takes months of preparation for a three-hour test (a movie), and acting is a 24-hour career where you have to get better every day with no turning back.
There were so many superstars back in the days so who inspired you the most to become an actor?
Anuj Saini: The actors who most inspired me to pursue acting were Shah Rukh Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, and Sushant Singh Rajput. Due to their consistency in remaining where they are and doing their best up to this point, we are all aware that these people didn’t got support from others in the industry.
Which achievement means a lot to you and is there any other achievement you look forward to achieving?
Anuj Saini: It meant a lot to me when I was chosen for my first feature film, which will be released in January, because I had no familiarity and many talented people chose me for the role. This is a huge accomplishment for me And I have a lot of accomplishments I want to get to.
You have met many different personalities from different fields. Who was most inspiring and why?
Anuj Saini: Anuja Patil, a former player for India, influenced me greatly with her personality . She changed the outlook of way of communicating with others. She is incredibly generous.
What do you want to share that many people don’t know about you?
Anuj Saini: Although I’m a big introvert and am really shy in real life, there is a switch that allows me to be completely different in front of the camera.
What message would you like to give to upcoming actors who follow you?
Anuj Saini: Keep working and hustling. Bombay is a city where one phone call has the power to completely alter your journey, but it will take time for that call to reach you. Until then, stay positive, put in a lot of effort, and don’t give up.
Lastly, what is one message that you want to give to your followers and well-wishers?
Please continue to support me; I’ll do everything in my ability to make you all smile.
AAP HAI TO HUM HAI!!
