Actress Kritika Bharadwaj has become a known face since her stint in Mismatched, for all the obvious reasons. Without sharing much detail about the upcoming season, she does get candid with The Pioneer about the Mismatched franchise and working on the sets.
Subodhini Purohit
Kritika Bharadwaj has received recognition for her remarkable performances in Mismatched, Yodha, and Rashmi Rocket. Her interest in theatre grew over her undergraduate years, and she made the daring decision to pursue acting as a career in her second year. Everything changed when she got the attention of a prominent casting director, who was blown away by her talent. She begins, “This opportunity brought me to Mumbai, where I began an incredible journey in acting. This experience offered me significant information about auditions, scripts, director preferences, and acting skills. Every day has been an exciting adventure as I hone my abilities and expand my knowledge of the profession. Despite the obstacles, I am confident that I am intended to be an actor.”
Having last seen in Yodha, she indicated that she had little time to prepare for her role. She explains, “I actually began shooting for Yodha just three days after finishing Mismatched Season 2. Fortunately, my director helped me understand the technical requirements of playing a pilot, and filming the sequences in a chronological order made things easier.”
The set had a calm environment, and despite her early fears, the entire experience went surprisingly well. Yodha contained numerous dramatic action sequences; therefore, her character had few action scenes in the film. She says, “I focused on getting the technical things right without appearing false. Sagar walked me through the details of the final scenario. During action sequences, all I had to do was try to act naturally while others engaged in fierce fighting.”
She prioritises projects based on whether she would like to watch them personally. She prefers substantive roles, regardless of platform or scale, as long as the character has depth and meaning.
For example, “When I was offered the opportunity to work on Mismatched, I had no idea it would become such a popular Netflix show, but being a part of it was a huge thing. When the filmmaker approached me about Rashmi Rocket, I didn’t hesitate, especially given his talent. Similarly, Yodha came from auditions. Even after Mismatched, I’ve turned down projects whose scripts did not pique my curiosity.”
Recalling one of the notable experiences from the sets of Yodha, she remembers, “One day, midway through a lunch break, Karan Johar unexpectedly visited the sets. He was filming Rocky Rani at the time and was very busy. When I met him for lunch, he asked, “You’re Tanya, right?” and she said, “Yes, hello! Nice to meet you.” Although she was nervous, she was also excited.
Another highlight was witnessing the sequence in which the flight rotates 360 degrees; she says, “The set was on hydraulics, which was a mesmerising sight.” On the other hand, her Lucknowi background has also influenced her path in the entertainment industry; she says, “I’ve been thinking about how proud I am of my great command of Hindi and Urdu, thanks to my upbringing in Lucknow. It’s a solid foundation that has helped me advance my career in the Hindi film industry.”
However, she has yet to play a role that is related to her heritage. She emphasises, “While I’ve often been cast in these hoity characters, I’m eager to explore roles that showcase different facets of my talent.”
Working on the set of Mismatched for her is like going to a never-ending party. It has been an extremely rewarding experience, one of the most wholesome of her life. She says, “From the start, there was genuine camaraderie among us, and it felt like we had suddenly become a close-knit family. It’s unusual to discover such a pleasant dynamic among a group of people, especially when they’re all the same age. Fortunately, we clicked right away, which made the entire event enjoyable.” Even when they weren’t shooting, they found themselves missing the set terribly.
Mismatched’s first two seasons got excellent appreciation from both fans and critics. She gave some light on the process of portraying a character who is always evolving, especially during production breaks. “Akarsh is recognised for his extraordinary casting abilities. He has an uncanny capacity to spot the correct individual for a given character almost immediately. When I auditioned for the role of Simran, he only wanted to meet me and see whether I was a good fit for the character. He casts with incredible precision. Even though Simran isn’t the nicest person in Season 1, I found it easy to play her. This doesn’t imply I’m a bad person; there’s just something about her demeanour that appealed to me as an actress.”
Aside from Mismatched and Yodha, she is looking into other opportunities. She explains, “I’m actively engaging with industry professionals, reading scripts, and auditioning. While there is nothing specific to report at this time, I will surely announce any developments when the time is right.”
