Ordinary things in life give me happiness

Laila in Santoshi Maa Sunaye Vrat Kathayein, Ojaswini Shergill in Divya Drishti, Rasika in Do Dil Ek Jaan, Disha in Sasural Genda Phool and Maldawali in Ghulam on small screen and Amba in her debut movie, Begum Jaan. That’s RIDHIEMA TIWARI for you.
Born to educationist parents, Ridhiema did her gurukul schooling from Gujarat before moving to Mumbai from where she completed her graduation in English from Sofia College. Under pressure from parents, especially father to take up a job before getting married despite wanting to do Mass Communication, she took up a job with IndusInd Bank but remained unsatisfied. One fine day, she sent a few photographs for the Gladrags beauty contest, got shortlisted in final 20 and won the best hair title.
Married to actor Jaskaran Singh Gandhi, she gives credit to her mother for standing by her side at all junctures in life – emotionally and financially, despite occasional opposition from her father. She talks to SAURABH TANKHA on entering the entertainment industry, her Begum Jaan experience, secrets about her life and more…

Why is that we get to see Ridhiema Tiwari more on television and not on silver screen?
An actor desires to entertain audience on all platforms. Silver screen is certainly the epitome of achieving respect adulation and success but with so much competition and talent options available, the challenges are far too stretched. Of course, these can be achieved with sheer dedication and focus. It’s important to acknowledge one’s strengths and magnify them, camouflaging the flaws. One fine day that one role puts you on centre-stage and gets you noticed and opportunities flow into your direction with a bang. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to work with one of the finest teams and most skilled artistes in Begum Jaan. Post-that, TV has kept me busy and helped me manage my financial freedom whilst I still had my heart and hopes riding on silver screen. Both the platforms are equally important when it comes to reaching out to the audiences. The choice between TV and films has always been tough, the former being more secure and consistent. However, 2021 looks much better. I desire to dabble more between films and web series but that doesn’t mean I’ll bid goodbye to the small screen. It has been my practice ground to upgrade my skills, understand technicalities and experiment various roles and the audience has loved and accepted me. I’m already reading a few scripts and will share the happy news with my fan family soon.

How challenging is it when you replace an actor who had been playing a certain role like it happened in Sasural Genda Phool and then make a place yourself to an extent that the audiences start loving you?
Sasural Genda Phool was the remake of the Star Jalsa series, Ogo Bodhu Sundori – a family show where the essence of every character was etched out from the “real” with perfection. It is still loved for the simple storyline, flawless writing and exuberant performances, professing joint family boons, strong bonds of love minus all shadyantras and villains. The shots, characters, tone, dialogue delivery, situations and plots reminded one of Hrishikesh Mukherjee films. Angels were smiling down upon me when Pooja Kanwal quit the show and Supriya Pilgaonkar casually referred my name as replacement. To begin with, the journey wasn’t easy. I remember how I got home all excited to check audience reaction after my first day and felt demotivated to have been rejected by 60-70 percent fans. But the cast and crew were extremely supportive. Having gone through the pressure of stepping into Pooja’s shoes and being loved as well as accepted equally was a dream but I had to take it as a challenge and slowly I did make a place onscreen.

What is that one factor which makes you decide on an assignment?
Role, banner and money. Nothing else matters.

When was the first time that Ridhiema Tiwari decided to enter the entertainment industry?
I never intended to. I was a banker before that and wanted to be a journalist. My first stint was Gladrags beauty contest where I won the best hair title and bagged the Sunsilk Shampoo ad. I entered the industry as an actor later.

What was your parents’ reaction when you shared this news?
Dad was not kept in loop because we knew his reaction wouldn’t be pleasant. Mom was clueless about the field but she put her faith in me and always supported me. When I quit my job at the bank, we had watched a few episodes of Mahabharata at home, post which I followed my rebellious soul.

How did period of Covid-19 treat you and what changes have you witnessed in yourself during this phase?
Lockdown has made me aatmanirbhar in every way. It has made me stronger. Today I’m more patient, resilient and calm. I’ve always lived one day at a time and have valued living every minute of the present moment to the fullest. I count my blessings and practice deep gratitude. Of late, simple things in life keep me grounded and positive. I’m mindful of the vastness within us, even in the restricted happy space called home. My mind is so much at peace, the tranquility that prevails keeps me sane than the stress which we actors normally are used to.

What is Ridhiema Tiwari doing when she is not breathing glamour?
I still breathe 🤣 and breathing doesn’t need glamour. It needs awareness. I practice mindful breathing when not at work, I purposefully practice pauses and simplicity and love wandering within for nothingness, disconnecting myself from the bright lights into the true world of self. I take those moments very seriously too where I get to live myself, reconnect with self, family and pets – to simply live a normal, blissful life without having to bear the heavy burden of the cloak of expectations, perfection and glamour all the time. Ordinary things in life give me happiness. It’s my fans who make me extraordinary and this is something that will always keep me grounded.