There's no nepotism in the TV industry or Bollywood. It's your talent that matter: Nidhi Uttam

Actress Nidhi Uttam, who shot to fame with Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai was recently seen in Anubhav Sinha’s critically acclaimed movie Thappad. The actress spoke to us in a live session on social media and spoke at length about her career, the difficulties TV actors face in Bollywood and her former colleague Sushant Singh Rajput with whom she worked in the show Kis Desh Mein Hai Meraa Dil in which Sushant made his acting debut.
Speaking about the demise of actor Sushant Singh, she says, “It’s a very unfortunate incident. Aap itna achieve karke…itni unchai par pahuch kar ke aap aisi cheez kar rahe hain toh zaroor hi aapke mann main koi aisi baat hogi jo aapko aisa tough step lena pada. Ho sakta hai unki personal life kaafi disturbed rahi ho…ya unke mann main aur high aspirations rahe ho jinko woh achieve nahi kar paa rahe honge," she rues.
Answering a question on if TV actors find it hard to create a space in Bollywood, Nidhi says, "Sirf films ya celebrities ki baat nahi hai. Ho sakta hai celebrity hone ke baad bhi uss insaan ke dil main koi bhaar hoye. Hamein uss insaan ke saath thoda emotionally deal karna chahiye….ab humko thoda sensitive hokar sochna chaiye ki usne aisa kyun kiya. I come from the television industry and till now I have only done one Bollywood film. At times people in Bollywood see television actors with a different perspective. They feel ‘accha yeh TV se aayi hai!’ So at times making your place in Bollywood from television industry gets really difficult for actors.”
Nidhi Uttam (BCCL)
As a person Nidhi strongly believes that every dark cloud has a silver lining and the on going crisis owing to Coronavirus pandemic will also come to an end. “The past three months have been really challenging one for all of us. Especially there is a huge crisis in Mumbai. In fact, we are also not moving out of our homes. But I am a person with a positive attitude. It’s just that we have to be patient and this phase of the life will also pass. For the past three months I have been practising yoga. Also, in order to boost my immunity I have kadha twice a day. Mohit (Lucknowite and singer composer) has been a great husband. He has been helping me out in the household work. His participation in household work has made things easier for me. At times he helps me in cleaning the utensils. When I don’t feel like cooking, then Mohit will cook something delicious for the entire family,” says Nidhi with a laugh.
Nidhi, who was seen in Thappad, was very happy when she got to know that she would be working with Anubhav Sinha. “What impressed me about Anubhav sir is that he is very good natured person. He is a person with clear thought process. I remember, on the first day of the shoot I went to the set in Lucknow and all the other artists of the film were sitting together. He introduced all of us saying ‘Yeh meri women power hai’. I really felt elated sitting with senior actors like Ratna Pathak Shah, Tanvie Azmi, Dia Mirza and Tapsee Pannu. Maine television mein toh kaafi kaam kiya hai but film main meri first opportunity thi. In fact, in my first scene I was required to cry. Once the shot was over Anubhav Sir called me and said 'beta aap bahut acha rote ho…' Thanks to my television experience, I gave a perfect rone ka," says Nidhi.
Ask Nidhi is Bollywood unaccepting of outsiders and does nepotism exists in the industry and she immediately, replies, “No, I don’t think so. Be it television or Bollywood, both the places are open for outsiders. It's just that you have to be talented enough to make a place there. Also there is no problem of nepotism in television and Bollywood. It’s your performance that matters. A star son or a daughter might get few projects because of his parent’s filmi background but in the end, it’s their onscreen performance that matters. If they are good actors then only they will sustain in the industry.”