Actress Vidya Malavade, who essayed the role of the Indian women's hockey team captain in the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer says that her career after Chak De! India was a high for a while until the markets crashed.
She says, “All the projects that I had signed either got delayed or didn’t take off at all. Even if the films were good, they didn’t succeed very well. I did a few films, short films that got me nominations and awards, but there came a point where I just decided to not do random work. I am the happiest when I'm on my set or on a yoga mat, so I actually dived full time into yoga teaching but the acting bug was always there so I was doing workshops and just keeping the actor in me alive.”
With the OTT boom, Vidya has done multiple web series such as Flesh, Mismatched, and her latest release, Bamini and Boys.
When asked what made her sign up to do these roles, Vidya says, “OTT platforms have given a new lease of life to not just actors but artists and technicians across the world. We're seeing incredible fresh talent in all departments of filmmaking. For me personally, it's been quite amazing that the actor in myself has got chances to do so many different types of characters in the last few years. I have done about 6-7 shows and I'm doing 3 right now and all the characters are dramatically different from each other which I would've never dreamt of playing in the movies.”
Vidya’s Instagram feed exudes major fitness goals. From flaunting her svelte figure in a bikini to doing extremely difficult asanas in her gym wear, the actress means serious business when it comes to her health.
When asked what’s her secret, Vidya says, “I should attribute some of it to my genes of course and the rest of it goes to my fitness – body, and mind. My mantra is strong yoga practice, along with breathwork and meditation because the balance between mind and body can help us overcome any challenge life throws at us. It's important to understand that you can manifest the kind of life and work you want, by trying to find a balance.”
Speaking about how important it is to stay relevant especially on social media, the Koi Jaane Na actress signs off by asserting, “It is important to be authentic and exactly what you are and not hide behind masks. For me that is what has worked and what I am is what comes forth. When I meet people or even when I play characters there's always something that is very intrinsic to me that I bring with it, but at the end of the day, authenticity is what relevance is about.”
