Actor Nidhi Shah, who rose to fame for her portrayal of Kinjal on the television show Anupamaa, is excited and nervous as she gears up for her OTT debut. Describing her transition from the small screen to web as both exciting and long-awaited, Nidhi tells us, “I’m excited, because this is what I wanted to do for a very long time. Having said that, I’m also nervous. Seeing that the audience has loved me as Kinjal, I just want them to see me more as Nidhi and not as a character. I am hoping they see the effort behind this new character.”
For Nidhi, the decision to enter the OTT space was not impulsive but carefully considered. “I wasn’t ready to do anything and everything. I took my time in choosing what I wanted to do next after I made my exit from my TV show,” says the 27-year-old, adding that the switch from TV to OTT came with its own challenges. “I did workshops, dance classes, and worked on myself. I had to unlearn a lot of things and learn what is required for OTT in terms of performance,” says Nidhi as she awaits the release of the second season of her the Sapne Vs Everyone.
Ask her what excited her the most, she shares, “It was the story and the relatability of the character that drew me in. When I watched the first season, I instantly connected with it, and when I got the opportunity to audition, I knew I wanted to give it my all. With Vidhi, I found that depth and nuance, which excited me the most because it allowed me to explore a completely different side of myself as an actor.”
Calling it a significant learning curve, she explains, “Television is louder in terms of expressions and delivery. OTT is very subtle. You have to go deep into the character, and there’s more time to perform.”
A major motivation, she shares, was her desire to break free from the strong association audiences had with her character of Kinjal in Anupamaa. “That character is stuck in people’s minds, hearts, and soul. Everywhere I go, people know me as Kinjal and not as Nidhi. I want them to know me beyond that. I understand the love that they have for the character, but I am more than that,” she shares.
Elaborating further she adds, “It is never easy to break out of an image. It wasn’t easy for me either.” Sharing how she had to say no to roles that were similar to Kinjal, Nidhi mentions: “I did get a lot of offers similar to that character, but I was clear about what I wanted and chose to say no. I want to do something different and get out of my comfort zone. I had to take that risk.”
The actor is now clear that she aims to work across mediums. “This year my focus is on working around mediums and testing myself with the different kind of characters and scripts that will come my way,” she ends.