Nupur Joshi: I don’t feel like I have come a long way

Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani actress Nupur Joshi has acted in several hit TV shows, but says she doesn’t feel like she has come a long way.

In Zee TV’s Rakhi Rishton Ki Atoot Do, she played Raj Nandini, in Khushiya on Doordarshan, she portrayed Priti, then she became Parvati for Jasoos Vijay by Doordarshan and BBC World Service Trust.

She was also seen in Do Hanso Ka joda on NDTV Imagine as Summi. For Star Plus’ Kumkum Pyara Sa Bandhan, she played Misri, in Sony TV’ Baat Hamari Pakki Hai, she was seen as Mandira and then in Star Plus’ long-running show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, she played Soumya.

“I don’t feel like I have come a long way, rather I feel there’s still a long and happy road ahead and I’m excited to tread the path,” she said. Talking about the difference in doing films and television, she shared, “I think it would have to be the ‘process of creation’. In television, we work on a different pattern to shoot our daily telecasts whereas the film schedules have a very different demand from the actors involved. I’d say, although both the mediums create magic, their potion making strategy differs.”

She finds it very difficult to imagine herself away from performing arts whether on television, movie or theatre. “But had that not come to be, then I think I would’ve landed up as a practising psychologist in some part of the world, based on my education in MS Clinical Psychology,” she said.

Back in 2013, she featured in the blockbuster Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. “YJHD was truly a play of my stars, and I can’t thank them enough. It was just wonderful to be a part of the film and play Esha in the setting. It was some true fun,” she recalled about the Ayan Mukerji directorial that also starred Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. “I remember meeting Ayan and Ranbir on the sets of a different project back in the day, way before YJHD happened, I think perhaps that’s when we clicked and later my luck materialised for it,” she said.
As to why later on she did not take up many projects, she said that it was simply an unplanned break that happened. “I took to focus on my personal life. Also, I had shifted my base for a short while and then I used to only travel to Mumbai for assured projects or few other film opportunities that came my way now and then. But now I’m back – full throttle, excited to see what rests ahead in this path, again,” she said.

Talking about Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, she said, “I remember I was wrapping up an ad shoot at Filmcity, when I got that call. YRKKH, was strongly a friendly tap. I recall agreeing to play the character solely based on my own professionally known and close ties involved in the project.
I think since the introduction of my character of Kartik’s (Mohsin) young mother, I have been poured with all the love of fans that still comes my way, even now!” Now, Nupur is primarily up for performance-oriented roles. “Those that give me a platform to enact a stronger shade of a character, quenching my thirst as an artist. Now whether that is a main or parallel lead or a small character-driven story, that bit is secondary,” she said.

In addition, she is open to venturing into films, television or even digital platforms now, equally; as and how the opportunity arises, she will accordingly accommodate to the demands of it.
“I’m basically all up for exploring new possibilities now,” she shared.

On why she chose to be low profile for so long, she said, “As an actor one can hardly alienate oneself entirely from their fans or their followers.”

“So, as I mentioned earlier, I was focusing a bit more on my personal front, that involved experiencing life in different cities, started learning classical dance, Odissi, which was long due, travelled around a bit and much more. So this so-called break was definitely unplanned but not that unpleasant one,” she said with a laugh.

“But again, now I would like to refocus on my first love and give my profession the due priority it has been demanding from quite a while now, as I think now I feel very ready, again,” she added.

According to her, the recent past has been hard on everyone across the globe. “We’ve all faced losses in more than one way yet we’ve learnt to come out of it stronger. I only think that this spin of thoughts in all our lives has made us respect the little things in life more, be kinder, have gratitude for everything and be very conscious of our choices, and very importantly, stay close and connected with our loved ones,” she said.