Watching her daughter, Vidhika, prepare to share the stage with Anup Jalota is a special, full-circle moment for Dipshikkha Nagppal. The Bhajan Samrat first worked with Dipshikkha’s mother, Shraddha Panchotia, in a Gujarati film, and later shared screen space with Dipshikkha herself. Now, he is set to work with the third generation of her family. Vidhika will play Tana, one of the twin sisters Tana and Riri, in the upcoming play Tansen, which features Jalota in the titular role.

Recalling how Jalota became a part of her family’s life, Dipshikkha says, “I have known Anup ji since I was a school kid. He acted with my mother, Shraddha Panchotia, in the Gujarati film Vali Bharvadan (1986), directed by my father, Ashvini Kumar. He would always tell my mom to let him adopt me because I was very interested in singing. He treats me like his daughter.”

Years later, Dipshikkha worked with Jalota in Token (2022), in which she played his wife. She is now delighted that her daughter will begin her acting journey alongside someone who has been part of their lives for decades.

She adds, “What more could I have wished for my daughter? She is making her debut with Anup ji, who is like a nanu to her, in a play by Paritosh Painter, whom I have also known for years. It feels like working with family in a happy and secure environment, where she will learn a great deal from renowned people in their respective fields.”

She adds, “Vidhika will play Tana, one half of the Tana-Riri twins, who hail from Vadnagar, Gujarat, which is also my mother’s hometown. We still have a haveli there, making this connection particularly special for me.”

Dipshikkha believes theatre will give Vidhika a valuable opportunity to hone her craft and understand the discipline required for live performances. “Theatre is no-nonsense and all about the work. This is a good break for Vidhika because theatre gives you the opportunity to polish your craft and learn. The longing to learn and perform before a live audience is something only a theatre artiste would know. Every day is a new show, without cuts or retakes. Initially, Vidhika was hesitant about getting into acting, but for the past two years, she has been working hard on herself. She has learnt acting and dancing and has also trained in Kathak. Ek maa ke liye isse badi baat kya ho sakti hai ki aapka bachha mehnat kar raha hai. My advice to her is to have the right attitude and dedication. You must love your work, always be willing to learn and keep polishing your craft. Dil se kaam karna, dimaag se nahi.”

Vidhika views the play as an opportunity to put her training into practice and learn from experienced artistes. She says, “I have been working on the different skills required for acting. I realized that I need to put theory into practice, and this opportunity is a blessing because it allows me to apply what I know. I haven’t had the opportunity to rehearse with Anup ji yet, but I am genuinely looking forward to it. I feel honoured to share the stage with someone who has worked with my nani and my mum.”

As she prepares for her stage debut, Vidhika acknowledges the mix of emotions that comes with performing live, along with the expectations that may accompany being an actress’s daughter. She says, “It’s a mix of emotions, including nervousness, excitement and anxiety. The audience’s reaction is not in my control, but my actions and preparation are. I am trying to focus only on those at the moment.”

Actor Mukul Dev, 54, who went on to build an over 25-year long career across mediums and languages, passed away on Friday night following a brief illness. For many in the Hindi film and television industry, it’s the loss of a kind friend who loved telling stories and bad jokes. To the world, filmmaker Hansal Mehta first collaborated with Dev in 2018 on his Rajkummar Rao-starrer, Omerta.

Dev is credited as the co-writer. But their collaborations go back a long way, and their friendship even longer. “We became friends because we used to go to the same gym. And then we would hang out together all the time. We were literally inseparable. He stood by me during my darkest days,” shares Mehta.

Dev made his film as well as television debut in 1996. The director shares he worked with the actor in both mediums. “We did television together, briefly. We also did a couple of films together, but none of them got released,” he says, before adding that through their intimate friendship, he discovered the storyteller in Dev.

“He used to keep narrating story ideas. In fact, he brought me the story of Omertà. From the time he pitched, the film took almost 14 years to get made. Once I completed the film, I called him and said, ‘Mukul, film ban gayi hai’,” the filmmaker shares.

Dev offered an unwavering support as a friend, says actor Dipshikkha Naggpal, who starred with him in Teri Bhabhi Hai Pagle (2018) and the Vikram Bhatt-directed 2019 series Maya.

Reminiscing about their two decade friendship, she says, “He was an amazing human being. He was a pilot, came from a good background, and was very sophisticated in the way he spoke. He was a thorough gentleman, humble and an extremely kind human being. He was also a very good astrologer and would often read my chart! There was so much more to him than being an actor — he had a personality. He had an amazing face, so I would always take his pictures from different angles. When I told him that women were crushing on him, he would say, ‘Where are these women?’”

It wasn’t just the audience who gushed over Dev’s looks. His peers did it too. And he loved it, Mehta tells us. “He was the most handsome friend I’ve ever had — beautiful eyes, great bone structure, and what a face!” Mehta smiles.

“And he had a good amount of vanity. He could not handle a little bit of paunch or anything showing. He would run on the treadmill. He was so conscious. He was a beast on the treadmill. He would run for an hour at a stretch. And he needed a mirror in front of him to be able to run because he would run and only look at himself,” Mehta laughs.

But he wasn’t the same in the last few years, the filmmaker shares. “The last few years, he just let go. I spoke to him few months ago and told him, 'Why are you not looking after yourself?' He started laughing. He was always laughing. He also used to crack some of the worst jokes possible!” 

But what remained constant was Dev brimming with story ideas. In fact, he would often tell Mehta that he wished to narrate them to him. The narration couldn't happen, a regret the filmmaker harbours.

"He once sent me a voice note saying, 'I want to tell you stories. I have many stories. You listen to them once. You'll like them.' He had been telling me stories for a long time. We kept promising to meet. I would say, 'Come and see me, come to my office. Let's hang out.' But that day never happened. I feel when people are alive, we don't meet enough. Then all you live with later is the regret that you did not meet enough," says a sombre Mehta.

But Dev lives on in the stories and memories shared by his friends and colleagues. Like Mehta tells us about the time when Dev saw his writer’s credit in Omerta. “He was going through a low phase at the time. Seeing the credits, he thanked me profusely, saying, 'Tune mere credit de diya usme yaar. Thank you for doing that.' He just felt so validated and seen because of that one credit. He took so much pride in that," the director shares. Or that moment when the two friends partied all night to celebrate their collaboration. 

"I remember, we had a screening in Delhi. And then Mukul and I partied till the early hours of the morning. I will always remember the gleam in his eyes, and that mysterious smile. And every time you wanted to click a picture, the pout would happen,” Mehta smiles.

Hansal Mehta and Deepshikha Nagpal

Mumbai: Well known actor of Hindi and Punjabi cinema, Mukul Dev, passed away in New Delhi at the age of 54 Friday. He had been hospitalized for an unspecified ailment. The news of his death caused a ripple of shock within the film industry as well as viewers who had watched him in films and on television since the 1990s.

Born in New Delhi to a Punjabi family in 1970, Mukul was the son of a senior police officer. He trained to be a pilot before finding his call in acting. He was initially cast in a movie ‘Naam Kya Hai’ by Amitabh Bachchan's ABCL but it was shelved. He launched his career with Doordarshan through a serial named ‘Mumkin’ in 1996. The same year he made his cinematic debut with Sushmita Sen starrer ‘Dastak’ where he played a police officer.

Mukul went on to feature in 'Qila', 'Wajood', 'Kohram', 'Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachaao', 'Yamla Pagla Deewana', 'Son of Sardaar', 'R... Rajkumar', 'Jai Ho' and several Punjabi films including 'Sarabha'.

On television, he was the host of 'Fear Factor India: Season 1'. He acted in serials like 'Kahin Diyaa Jale Kahin Jiyaa', 'Kashish', 'Gharwali Ooparwali', 'Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki', 'Sshh.. Phir Koi Hai', 'Kumkum... Pyara Sa Bandhan' and 'Pyar Zindagi Hai'. Mukul was the brother of actor Rahul Dev.

He is survived by a 22-year-old daughter Sia. Rahul performed the last rites in Delhi. Friends and peers from the entertainment industry mourned his loss. Actress Deepshikha Nagpal who announced his demise on social media recalled how they met whenever he came to Mumbai. Actor Vindoo Dara Singh remarked that Mukul had kept to himself and stopped stepping out after his parents' death.

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Mukul Dev, former model and familiar face in Hindi and Punjabi films, died at the age of 54 on Friday night. The actor succumbed to severe health complications after a week-long battle in the Intensive Care Unit in a hospital in Delhi. His cremation was conducted on Saturday.

Born into a Punjabi family in Delhi, Mukul was the younger brother to actor-model Rahul Dev. He is survived by his daughter Sia. After the news of his death broke, tributes from the industry began pouring in.

Actor Mugdha Godse (Rahul Dev’s partner) confirmed the news, telling us, “We are still in a state of shock. He was in ICU at a hospital in Delhi, for a week; severe health complications, and he couldn’t survive. None of us in our wildest imagination could think of this coming.”

Veteran actor Puneet Issar, who worked with Mukul in Yamla Pagla Deewana (2011), says, “Not possible, he was so fit and fine... Achcha ladka tha... Saari baatein maanne wala, khush rehna wala insaan — that was him.”

Actor Divya Dutta, a close friend and co-star in Shaatar (2023) and Iski Topi Uske Sarr (1998) shares her grief, saying, “Life is so unpredictable... And how frivolous this life is. I still can’t believe it. He was a dear friend and adorable guy.”

Actor Dipshikkha Nagppal says, “We were part of the same friend circle. Whenever he was in Mumbai from Delhi, we made it a point to catch up. He was only 54 — such a kind and wonderful soul. I can’t wrap my head around it.”

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Yashika Mathur

When Dipshikkha Nagppal’s 23-year-old daughter, Vidhika, expressed her desire to step into the world of showbiz, the actress supported her wholeheartedly — though she admits she initially had reservations.

She shares, “Everyone is aware of the highs and lows that come with showbiz. I wanted my daughter to understand the emotional roller coaster this career entails before fully committing to it.”

Speaking about Vidhika’s evolving career aspirations, Dipshikkha says, “She has explored different paths over the years. At one point, she wanted to be a psychiatrist, then a journalist. About four years ago, when she expressed interest in showbiz, I encouraged her to take a crash course in filmmaking and acting at NYU (New York University). I felt exposure to a new environment would help her grow in confidence. When she returned, she worked as an assistant director on a film before transitioning into modelling.”

She adds, “I once dreamed of joining a beauty pageant myself but lacked the support. So, I made sure to let her explore her ambitions freely. Yes, we’ve had our arguments about her career choices, but I didn’t want to impose my dreams on her.”

Having experienced the vagaries of showbiz herself, Dipshikkha is candid about its challenges. She shares, “There are moments when she feels disheartened during slow phases, but I remind her that patience is crucial in this field. Success might happen overnight, or it could take years. Either way, it’s all about trusting the process, because life often has its own plans,” she says.

Vidhika, who has appeared in over 10 commercials and continues to audition for roles, is clear about her goals. She shares, “Although I am open to acting, my ultimate dream is to sign with an international modelling agency. It’s a big leap that requires a stronger portfolio. So, for now, I’m focused on building my profile further.”

Despite her mother’s connections in the industry, she is determined to carve her own path. She explains, “I love being known as my mom’s daughter, but she built her career on her own terms, and I want to do the same. I’ve inherited her fierce determination — no matter how unwell she is, she always shows up and gives her best. That work ethic inspires me.”

She adds, “Raising two kids as a single mother while building a career wasn’t easy for her, and as I grow older, I understand the depth of her sacrifices. That realisation drives me to pursue my dreams with everything I have. I want my hard work, not my surname to define me.”