Smriti Ridhima Sharad share on their return to small screen
The year 2025, saw actors who were staging a comeback to television — some after more than a decade away. They share what kept them off the small screen and how TV has evolved over the years
*Smriti Irani
After quitting acting for politics, Smriti staged a comeback to Television after 25 years with the reboot of “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi. “What drew her in was what Ektaa (R Kapoor, producer) brings to the table. It’s fascinating to reconnect after 25 years and see her journey,” says Smriti, adding, “she feels proud that they are in the game of telling the world that Indian Television still rocks. If you look back, we actually stood for things which were not a part of popular mediums, and we did it without being preachy.”
Sharad Kelkar returned to television after eight years with Tumm Se Tumm Tak. Sharad reveals “With experience, you begin to view new roles through a different lens. Saying he was away from television is just one way to put it. Film work demands full commitment — you have to be ready at a moment’s notice. That’s one of the main reasons he didn’t take up daily shows. Also,he never wanted to do just any character,but needed something that would challenge him
*Vandana Pathak
The actress had ended her six-year-hiatus on television with Tumm Se Tumm Tak, which she describes as a “carefully considered decision since nothing exciting was being offered to her”. She says, “After working for decades and playing an array of roles, you either want a meaty role or one that pays good money. Also, she was focusing on working with people she knew and feel comfortable with,” adding, “Television now has emerged as repetitive. When they used to shoot weekly, they had time to think deeply about the character and episodes. Now, with daily shows, it’s very challenging — you have to evolve quickly because there’s lesser time to work on characters.
*Gaurav Chopra says
finds a role exciting only if it doesn’t limit his creativity as an actor. Following a five-year hiatus, he returned to TV with Pushpa Impossible. Explaining his break, he says, “It wasn’t one of those aggressive professional moves like, ‘No, he isn’t doing television anymore.’ more about stepping back,” adding, “In over two decades of acting, I was being offered the same kind of roles. Sometimes he was returning from London as an investment banker, other times he was a self-made businessman from India — but the journey was the same.”
Gaurav, however, does acknowledge, “he feels fortunate that he hasn’t been offered the typical, boy-next-door roles. There’s always been some kind of edge to the characters he has played. But even those edgy roles started becoming repetitive.
That’s when he determined he only want to pick things that excite him — things he hasn’t before.”
*Ridhima Pandit
Ridhima Pandit
For the actress plans weren’t a foot to return. She was just waiting for a role that would project her in a new light, like Ufff…Yeh Love Hai Mushkil did. I’ve been in this industry for years. If not now, when will she gets to choose the parts she plays and how the audience sees her” says Ridhima, who returned to television after a gap of 5 years with the show. The actress went on to add that she has worked hard to get here, so wanted to take her time and decide. Waiting for the right part is a personal choice.”
News Edit KV Raman
