Ridhi Dogra will soon be seen in Pitchers season 2. The web series also stars Naveen Kasturia, Arunabh Kumar, Abhay Mahajan, Abhishek Banerjee and is helmed by Vaibhav Bundhoo and Arunabh Kumar. It will be released digitally on December 23. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive conversation. Excerpts:
You are a new entrant in the second season of Pitchers. How was it for you to adapt everything?
Of course, I knew that I was stepping into the team that already worked together in the first season. As actors, we are always prepared once we reach the sets where there are 20 people judging you and taking calls on how we behave, how we look, etc. I welcomed everything with open arms. I am happy to be a part of a show that is created by like-minded people. It is always so wonderful to sink in that kind of energy.
You did Asur, Married Woman and now Pitchers 2. How far do you think your trajectory has changed due to OTT?
It is a wonderful time for an actor like me. When I was doing television, it was never a stepping stone for me. I never set out to become an actor in the first place. Sometimes, few things lead you to something. I was always very comfortable on stage, I was with cultural teams in school and college. I was with Shiamak Davar before I left Delhi and moved to Mumbai and decided to earn my own money,
Go on…
I was working and had a job alongside an acting opportunity. For a show, they were looking for dancers and dance is my passion. OTT has blurred the lines for an actor like me. While I was doing television, I never thought that next I will do films. I had a lot of clarity. I figured that to be in there, either you have to be Miss India, or you are a star kid or you are excellent at networking. I was none of them. I was quite a realist. I am very proud of my work on television.
Elaborate further…
There was a time when I was dabbling with my career options. Since I am a post graduate, at once I even thought of going back and continuing what I was doing before. In 2015-16, OTT was emerging and I took up the challenge to work and stand up with different sets of people and that’s how Asur happened to me.
Does the tag of a television actor bother you sometimes?
I haven’t broken any image of mine from moving to OTT or films from television to begin with. I have been a rebel since childhood. I completely rubbished the thought of being a TV actor. I don’t invest my energies into something like this. I am an actor and work for different mediums. I don’t need to justify to anyone but I feel sad for people who put us in these boxes. I feel audiences do not care at all. If you bring them a good story, they will be really happy. A person from a small screen coming to the big screen is only aspirational.
Are you excited about Jawan and Tiger 3?
Everything that I have been working on for the whole of 2021-22 is coming out in 2023. I never planned to work in films either. My reasons are very impulsive. When I was offered an important role in Tiger 3, I wanted to do it for an old friend Maneesh Sharma, whom I have known even before I became an actor. I would love to be on set where I got to be directed by him.
