Ridhima Pandit – Head Over The Moon → FHM India

Ridhima Pandit has come a long way from playing a humanoid to facing her fears head-on. Now she’s ready to give us a taste of the future with her latest endeavour.

WHO’S SHE?

Name: Ridhima Pandit

Date of birth: 25th June

Place of birth: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Height: 5’5”

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Profession: Actor

Instagram: @ridhimapandit

Twitter: @panditridhima

Facebook: @RidhimaSPandit

Not many people know that before I became an actor, I was an artist manager.

From making your acting debut in advertisements to playing the character of a super humanoid robot in the daily soap, Bahu Hamari Rajni Kant, how has the journey been so far?

Fantastic. Not many people know that before I became an actor, I was an artist manager. So, I’ve been behind the scenes and it helped my whole experience of being in front of the screen. I’ve done many ad shoots, which are a lot different from shooting for television daily soaps. In ads, we shoot for 12 hours only for 30 seconds and here we shoot for 12 hours for a whole 30-minute of footage. But I believe that television is the best platform. It has given me whatever I am today, people recognise me because of it. In my first show, I was very raw and nervous because I had seen too many run-of-the-mill characters, which were undoubtedly very much appreciated but at the same time did not give creative satisfaction. Thus, I was waiting for the right opportunity.

Your twitter bio describes that you were born to act. When did you develop a passion for acting?

My twitter bio describes that I am a firm believer of three stages in life, Nobody; Wannabe; Somebody. That was a thought which came to me when I wasn’t even an actor but I always knew that I wanted to be one. Currently, I am in the want-tobe stage. I have the least inclination towards gaining fame but I always remember one thing that I don’t want to be a nobody. I knew that I wanted to make a name for myself and face the camera since I was a kid.

Bagging ‘the Best Debut’ at an awards show was a significant part of your acting career. How has your life changed after that?

I was that one kid who never won any medals in any competitions in school. I would participate in all but never bagged any position. So I used to tell my mom and dad that I’m sorry for making them worry. When I got the debut award, it was a sort of a redemption and I knew that I’m on the right track. If I won something means my hard work is in the right direction.

I love to sing. I’m also into mimicking actors.

Apart from acting, you are a talented singer as well. What are some other activities you love to indulge in?

Not many people know I love to sing. I’m also into mimicking actors and that streak has been passed on to me genetically from my family. If I go to any party or I’m shooting with a particular director who talks in a certain manner, I’ll pick it up. The other activities definitely involve travelling and cooking. But as an actor, it is very difficult for me. Working on web series has a lot of scope of travelling, but with TV, we are bound to the studios. But yes, I do love to travel and bake some amazing chocolate chip cookies.

You were the second runner up in Khatron Ke Khiladi. How did you master the art of overcoming your fear?

To tell you honestly, I didn’t even pack enough clothes to last those many episodes because I was very confident that I won’t be able to take up so many physically hard stunts. Even mentally I am not such a strong person. A lot of people thought that I was lucky, but I feel that till the time we don’t have luck in this game along with hard work, you cannot progress. The only key to my winning was one, never giving up and second, my timing in the stunts. Luck meets you when there is hard work and opportunity dancing together. So, that’s the reason I managed to reach the top three.

Sports has been a crucial part of your profession. What is the importance of fitness in your life?

I am very disciplined when it comes to taking care of what I eat. I am into high protein-intake diet when I’m working out. Plus I do a lot of weight-training exercises, pilates, and kickboxing. But I do get bored real quick doing the same thing. During shoots, I end up eating everything because when I’m hungry, I can’t think much. Panipuri is a staple food for me and I practice yoga when I’m in between my daily shoots.

I do a lot of weight-training exercises, pilates, and kickboxing.

What has been the most memorable on-screen moment so far?

Well, there are plenty if you ask me. When the first episode of my show was aired, I remember watching it with my parents and the look on their faces was amazing. My parents kept looking at the television screen and at me and said, “Oh my God, you could do this?” In advertisements, I used to look like a pretty girl but this time it was a proper debut. That was definitely the most memorable moment of them seeing me on-screen.

Web series are a rage right now and you have worked in a few successful ones. Why do you think more and more actors are leaning towards acting in web series?

There are a lot of people like me who don’t get time to watch television. With web series, everything is at you your fingertips. You can sit anywhere and bingewatch any episode. The content is wisely catered to various audiences and as an actor, I have a lot of creative freedom there. In television, I have noticed that there are certain patterns that work wonderfully well but if one thing goes wrong, then accordingly the story has to move around it. Moreover, in a web series, the working schedules are quite different. But I’ll choose television as it is my first love.

Every woman has a preconceived notion about their ideal man. What are your expectations from that special someone?

That special someone won’t feel special around me because I have no time for him. But if somebody wants to take out time to make me feel special, I’ll be more than glad. There are a couple of things that I want my partner to have, one is chivalry, the second is how respective he is towards the elderly. If I see someone disrespecting someone lower in stature, I can’t stand them, because that’s a deal-breaker for me. There should be a lot of mutual respect for everyone and especially for each other.

There are a couple of things that I want my partner to have, one is chivalry, the second is how respective he is towards the elderly.

What is the weirdest catchline that have been used on you?

I hate it when somebody out of the blue calls me baby. It’s like an instant put off. There are so many pickup lines, top of the mind would be “I’ll be a snowflake because I’ve fallen for you.” It is just ridiculous.

Spill out that one secret about you that no one is aware of?

I am a big stalker on social media. Sometimes I land up on my own profile by going too deep on someone else’s page.

Who is that one actor you’ve always looked up to and has constantly inspired you to achieve more?

Not one, but two, and they are Madhuri Dixit and Sridevi. I’m known for my comic timing and the drama I create. It’s a mix of emotions and comedy and I think I have learnt a lot from these two. There is nobody better than Sridevi when it comes to comedy and grace. Same is with Madhuri Dixit. They are just fabulous and I watch a lot of their work.

Tell us a little about your upcoming projects. What are you looking forward to in 2019?

I am working on a sci-fi show and I am super excited to present it to the audience soon. I also look forward to lots of travelling, making money, and my parents proud.