Nidhi Singh: Feature films are and will always be my first love

She’s a popular face on TV and online shows and she made her debut in Bollywood this year with Taapsee Pannu’s and Saqib Saleem’s ‘Dil Juunglee’. In an exclusive chat, Nidhi Singh talks about her passion for Hindi films and the wealth of new opportunities for aspiring actors. Excerpts…
You made a debut in Bollywood this year with ‘Dil Juunglee’. Has it been a memorable year?
We had shot the movie two years ago and the shooting process for me is the most exciting part.When they announced that it’s finally being released then there was a sense of relief that it’ll see the light of day, because we hear of so many projects that get stalled or shelved. I didn’t know of this uncertainty and angst till ‘Dil Juunglee’s release so yes this year has been memorable and relieving to say the least.
Having worked with web shows, short films and feature films, what medium do you enjoy the most?
It’s hard to choose. Feature films are and will always be my first love; it is what inspired the first spark of desire towards this profession. Although today, I’m most grateful that I can say that I was a part of a feature film, I know that I’m yet to do a lot more that will allow me to tell the stories that I want to tell on the big screen. It is what I most aspire for. Web series for me is like a torrid love affair that happened by chance. The writers are able to express themselves without any restrictions, which gives us actors a lot more room to play with and explore our characters in depth. I’ve had my best creative collaborations till date, on the web and there’s nothing better than an overwhelming audience response to validate the sweat, blood and tears shed in the bargain.
Are digital platforms creating more opportunities for people to be able to choose acting as a career?
There is more work in general compared to how it was 3-4 years ago, but it’s not just the quantity of work, but also the quality of content, which is attracting more actors towards the web.
What sort of films do you want to work in, in the future?
Anurag Kashyap, Sriram Raghvan, Abhishek Chaubey, Meghna Gulzar, Anurag Basu, R Balki and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s films have inspired me the most. I really want to do some action, because god knows, I’m no athlete so I would love to challenge myself physically. I was a dancer all through my school days and I’d love the opportunity to be able to showcase that in a film, too.