Actress Shruti Pandey, who made her mark in film after the world of theatre, recently gave an exclusive interview to IWMBuzz journalist Komal Vishwakarma. In this conversation, Shruti openly shared her acting journey so far, her struggles and film experiences.
Shruti, who started her acting career from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh, took formal training in acting from Madhya Pradesh School of Drama, Bhopal. During this time she got guidance from veterans like Piyush Mishra, Govind Namdev and Dolly Ahluwalia.
After shifting to Mumbai in 2019, Shruti started her on-screen career with the independent film ‘Powai’. After this, she showed her acting skills in ‘Helmet’ (2022), ‘A Thursday’, ‘Patna Shukla’ (2023) and the recently released ‘Stree 2: Sarkarate Ka Terror’.
In ‘Raid 2’ released in 2024, Shruti played the important character of Geeta Devi, which was appreciated by both the audience and the critics. In this film, she was seen sharing the screen with stars like Ajay Devgn and Riteish Deshmukh.
Shruti, talked about on from a 60-second role in Stree 2 to now playing a lead role alongside Ajay Devgn and Riteish Deshmukh in Raid 2, She says, “It feels like an accomplishment, one of the amazing things that happened this year and still absorbing it”
On asking, being an outsider in the film industry is never easy. Did she face any challenges while getting into mainstream cinema? She says, “Yes of course there are many challenges, You try to prove yourself worthy of it and hoping to get a good audition where many parts don’t even reach to the casting agency because they’re directly cast so everyday trying to make ourselves creative and seen is a bit challenging”
On getting a chance which many aspiring actors never get the kind of break she has earned. She spoke on how it happened and why?
“It’s the same way for me I have also got it by auditioning like 6 rounds including two different characters and if we talk about why then that’s because I might have done justice to the character in the audition and director was able to see the character in me”.
She mentions how her close ones reacted when she got Raid 2, “everyone was very happy and excited and teary-eyed eyes of course” On being asked, outsiders are often treated differently on sets or during auditions. Did she ever face a similar situation? She says, “Yes I have a lot.
It’s very small things like you won’t be getting chairs to sit in between shot changes. You would be given a vanity with 4 other people You would be called way too early on set so yeah like that”
She talked about the first day on the sets of Raid 2 with actors like Ajay Devgn and Riteish Deshmukh?
“I was very nervous I had no sleep because of excitement and my first shot in front of Ajay sir shook me and I was shivering but they both are amazing people They made me feel comfortable and took care of my comfort”
Lastly, Shruti gave a piece of advice to struggling actors trying to make it without a film background. She advises, “It would be that please read and study about your craft and prepare yourself in an informative way just to look beautiful in not the only way beauty with brains makes you more in demand”
Shruti’s story is an inspiration for all those youth who come to Mumbai from small towns with big dreams.
