Srushti Mishra, currently seen as Ragini in Rahul Kumar Tewary and Rolling Tales Production’s Colors show Ram Bhavan, gets candid about the emotional toll of being an actor—and the invisible battles behind every performance. “There is nothing better for an actor than to have so many platforms and genres to explore. Especially for women, the roles have evolved so much. Earlier, it was just housewives or background characters. Now we are playing strong, complex women,” she says.
She credits OTT platforms and a changing audience for this shift. “Audiences are more open now. They enjoy good writing and variety. They are not stuck on the same old rom-coms. That’s what keeps us actors excited and creatively engaged,” Srushti adds.
But behind the excitement lies emotional and physical fatigue. “Back-to-back and long projects can be very exhausting. Our shifts are 12 hours, sometimes more. No fixed schedule, no sleep cycle. And when you’re shooting in continuity, you often have to put your personal life on pause,” she shares.
She opens up about a time when she was personally struggling but still had to show up on set. “When I started working on Ragini, my personal life was full of chaos. I could not focus. But my director, Randeep sir and others reminded me—I am an actor, and I have to know how to switch emotions. I was bringing Srushti’s emotions into Ragini’s scenes, but slowly I learned to separate the two.”
According to her, acting is not just about memorising lines. It is about transforming—physically, emotionally, mentally.
“With every role, you become someone else. You learn how they talk, walk, think. And once that show ends, you leave that character behind and start from scratch with a new one.”
