IN THE Spotlight

With dreams in her eyes, passion in her heart and a ‘never say never’ attitude on her mind, this girl burned down all her can’ts and turned them into can’s.

- TASHIKA TYAGI

For Delhi girl Ishita Raj, Bollywood was never on the cards but as they say, what’s meant to be always finds a way. After her debut in Pyaar Ka Punchnama, a sleeper hit that turned into a cult film for the millennials, there has been no turning back for this beauty. Whether it was Pihu from Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety or Zoya in Yaaram, she left the audience in awe with all the characters she stepped into.

Ishita is passionate, selective and a hopeless romantic at heart. In an exclusive interview, she walks us through what goes in her head when she takes up a movie, her fitness routine and her idea of romance. Edited excerpts...

After completing your master’s degree in business, you went on to become a model and then made your Bollywood debut with Pyaar Ka Punchnama. How did Bollywood happen to you? Tell us about your journey.

I was doing modelling and was visiting a family friend in Mumbai, when the casting director of Pyaar Ka Punchnama spotted me with a friend in a coffee shop. He asked me to come for the audition. I was a little apprehensive and had a lot of questions but I gave the audition, and had a four-hour-long photoshoot, the longest I ever had. I flew back to Delhi post that, since I hadn’t shifted my base to Mumbai by then. Ten days later, I got a call saying that I bagged a role in the film and was asked to come back to Mumbai. This is how it all began for me.

You have worked with Luv Ranjan extensively in your career. How do you think working with him has helped you grow as an actor?

I have been fortunate to have worked with such a great filmmaker. He knows the craft so well, has a vision, and is certain of what he wants out of his characters. He is also very experimental in the way he wants to try out his scripts and his direction. So, I would say I am blessed to have an amazing director who wants to work with me again and again.