Avika Gor, who made her debut in Telugu cinema in 2013 as a teenager, recently moved to Hindi films with Kahani Rubberband Ki and 1920: Horrors Of The Heart to break free from the Anandi (her character in Balika Vadhu) mould. The actress talks about her future projects, the perks of having an encouraging partner, and the importance of work-life balance.

Excerpts from a chat:

I share a lot of stuff on social media, but I am not forced to do that. I often don't share what I don't want to. There are days when I consciously take a break from it altogether. Sometimes, I am busy with other things, and I don't want social media to be a distraction. I don't put a lot of pressure on myself as an actor because none of my projects come to me because of the posts I share. They come to me because they believe in my talent as an actor. If you're trying to please people through social media, it's definitely taxing.

Having a partner (Milind Chandwani) who supports your work is the most important thing for a woman. Milind inspires me to do more and better every day and helps me grow in my craft and in my life. When you have a partner who is mentally and emotionally secure, you are able to work stress-free, and this helps you succeed in your work as well as your personal life. I am blessed to have him in my life.

My Bollywood debut (1920: Horrors Of The Heart) was appreciated, and I am happy about that. I'm not going to restrict myself, but I'd definitely like to work on some OTT projects. I am looking forward to working on female-centric projects and really want to do a lot of romantic movies.

Today, people are appreciating unique storytelling. I'm glad to be a part of this generation that gets to experiment, not just in TV but also in OTT, films, and theatre. I am excited about every project I'm shooting for, irrespective of the medium.

I have done many Telugu films and a film in Kannada too. The current project that I'm doing is a Telugu series, Indu. If there's a Gujarati script that comes to me, impresses me, I'd love to do it and make my community proud.

In my personal space, I am quite content. I get ample time with myself, and I travel a lot and spend a lot of time with my family. I have been in this industry for a while now, and the work-life balance trick is something I've mastered now. I want to sustain my lifestyle and habits. Maintaining a work-life balance gives me peace. I don't want to climb the ladder quickly. I want to take things at my own pace, and I want to enjoy the journey to success. When I'm not working, I spend a lot of my time working on what I can do better for myself. I meditate and go on meditation retreats. Other than that, I love to keep learning and keep myself entertained.