'When I Got The Paatal Lok Demo...'

'...it was for a very, very big lead actor.'
'I looked at it and saw how beautiful she was. I was like, there's no chance I'm getting it.'
'I auditioned and as luck would have it, they were looking for someone like me.'

Niharika Lyra Dutt had a good 2024, as she featured in two big ticket shows, Call Me Bae and Doctors.

Making into the glitzy world of Bollywood was a distant dream for this actor from a humble theatre background.

But in the last few years, she was seen in many well-received shows including Pataal Lok, Eternally Confused and Eager for Love and Choona.

'I have been a Kuch Kuch Hota Hai fan. Since childhood, I have been Anjali. Obviously, I told my adult brain that these are dreams you don't need to have. So I didn't dream about Yash Chopra. I didn't dream about Dharma,' Niharika tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.com.

How was your experience playing a doctor in Doctors?

I had the best time! It was possibly my most rewarding experience till date because I got most of the meat with Keyuri's character.

Also, the fact that she has gray shades was exciting to explore.

Now, it has released after two years, and I'm very nostalgic about that time we had as a team.

I am very happy that it is being recognised.

Be it Sarah Matthews, the journalist you played in Pataal Lok or Keyuri Patel in Doctors, it must be surreal to play such earthy characters and depicting these professions.

(Theatre personality Konstantin) Stanislavski talked about what if, right? The question of Magic If.

It's always Lyra as Keyuri Patel or Lyra as Sarah Matthews. So it's very interesting to think about this parallel universe, where I'm a completely different person and in a completely different world.

What would be my fix? What would be my occupational hazards? What would be the thing that doesn't allow me to sleep at night? What would be the thing that adds fire to my belly?

Being those people was such an internal process.

Whenever I get a character, the first thing I do is I write down. I make the script the Bible and then make a mix of similarities and differences between me and my characters.

The similarities are incredible because I can really lean on them. But the differences can tell you about the choices the character makes, and you have to justify them.

Has acting always been your passion? What motivated you to come to Mumbai and follow your dreams?

Honestly, I didn't want to come to Mumbai. I used to pull my nose up at the thought that this is a valuable place.

I was doing theatre from a very young age. My parents were also from theatre. So it was an expression that lived with me since the age of six.

I've been directing and acting my own plays.

I finished my graduation in Delhi and applied for a scholarship. But I didn't get it.

I got a score on the drama school. I heard that there it would be a maximum batch of 13 and we were being taught by people who were professionals in the industry in Mumbai.

My parents very sweetly funded that education and I shifted my bag and life in a week, and came to Mumbai.

I didn't know what would happen. I didn't know how long I would stay there.

Now, it's been 10 years.

This industry is high on favouritism and connections. How have you navigated your way through that?

I knew that nobody knows me, that nobody would stick their neck out to put their money on me as a lead or whatever.

I was honestly just happy to do the work that I was getting.

Of course, it had to align with the kind of work I want to do.

I would audition for things and when I got them, I would just be very glad. Then I realised that for me, work will get me more work.

I'm grateful that I have managed to work with some fantastic teams.

I hope this attitude will allow me to work with even better names and better scripts in future.

When you do projects like Paatal Lok and Call Me Bae, which are backed by big names, what changes does it bring for you as an actor?

During Paatal Lok, I didn't believe it.

When I got the demo for the audition, it was for a very, very big lead actor. I looked at it and saw how beautiful she was. I was like, there's no chance I'm getting it.

I always saw myself as not mainstream, so I thought there was no chance I would get it.

I auditioned for it and as luck would have it, they were looking for someone like me.

I still remember when I stepped out of Clean Slate office, I called my mother and it was an unbelievable feeling.

I had watched NH10 when I was still in college in Delhi, and remember being moved by it. That was a female-led cinema and it was really, really good.

I was so interested in Anushka Sharma and Sudeep Sharma that I definitely wanted to work with them.

When I stepped out of the Clean Slate office, it was an unbelievable feeling because I felt like someone who is not mainstream was given a chance. Then I realised that the entire team was built like that. The preference was given to the talent and who will do the best job.

During Call Me Bae, it was very funny actually.

I have been a Kuch Kuch Hota Hai fan. Since childhood, I have been Anjali.

Obviously, I told my adult brain that these are dreams you don't need to have.

So I didn't dream about Yash Chopra. I didn't dream about Dharma.

I was very happy in the OTT world with whatever work I was getting.

When I got the audition and got through the first round, then the second round, Colin (D'Cunha, director of Call Me Bae) called me to meet him at the Dharma office.

A really funny thing happened. His assistant had given me his number and I told the watchman, 'Brother, I want to go to Yash Raj's office.'

And he's like, no, Yash Raj office is not here.

I called the assistant, saying Yash Raj's office is not here, and he's like, 'Niharika, you have to come to the Dharma office.'

I guffawed loudly.

I was like, oh my God!

I don't think it hit me. Till that point, I think I was just trying to tell myself that I can do this. I can be a part of such a universe and really worked hard to put my best foot forward to be able to be as assimilated in that kind of a universe.

I think it was at the premiere when I introduced Karan Johar to my father. That was a surreal moment for me.