Rajeev Siddhartha and Kirti Kulhari may have occasionally shared glimpses of each other on social media, but they have largely kept their relationship away from public conversations. In an exclusive chat with us, Rajeev confirms that they have been together for around a year and a half.

Rajeev, who was recently seen in Musafir Cafe, shares, “We were introduced on the sets of Four More Shots Please! in 2017, and it’s quite funny that we hardly spoke to each other then. Perhaps it was because I’m an introvert and she tends to keep to herself as well. It was only during the last leg of the final season that we discovered each other. Perhaps we had to go through our individual journeys before we could meet at the right time. Maybe our frequencies match now. We like to keep our private lives private, but we don’t censor ourselves either. If we feel like sharing something, we do. Ultimately, we just want to live a normal life.”

Their shared interests have become an important part of their bond, particularly their love for acting and spirituality.

He says, “People may think they understand what an actor’s life is like, but only an actor truly knows how uncertain, exciting and, at times, difficult it can be. Kirti and I understand each other because we are in this field for the right reasons. We bonded over acting and spirituality, and both remain a big part of our conversations. We talk about performances and films because we genuinely enjoy them; for us, it isn’t just work. We both love the craft, and everything else that comes with it is secondary to us.”

Their shared profession, however, has not made their approaches to acting alike. “We have different perspectives and approaches to acting, and we respect each other’s space. If I ask her for advice, she gives it to me, and vice versa. Because of my theatre background, I enjoy rehearsing my lines irrespective of the project, even when I’m driving, walking or at the market. She sometimes tells me to relax, and I take that advice too,” he says with a smile, adding, “Kirti has just completed her first production, and we are both acting in it. She had her process and I had mine, but when we came together for our scenes, the result was beautiful. As long as the final performance is truthful, there is no need to interfere with each other’s process.”

For Rajeev, a relationship is also about retaining a sense of self while being present for the other person through life’s highs and lows.

He shares, “You can’t look for completeness in another person. You have to be complete within yourself, and perhaps only then can you find someone who is right for you. Both of us have learnt that life is not always a bed of roses. There will be ups and downs, and it is important not to become too elated when things are going well or too despondent when they are not. When one of us has a difficult moment, we are there for each other, offering support and perspective.”

Actor Kirti Kulhari says she is feeling “good and surely better” after navigating through a harrowing experience involving an online credit card scam and a subsequent health scare.

Reflecting on, Kulhari shares, “It was one thing after another. It started with the credit card scam, followed by the whole process of filing a complaint and visiting the police station. That eventually took a toll on my health, leading to gastritis and hyper-acidity, which landed me in the hospital after two days of failed medication at home. I think skipping meals for four or five hours at a stretch while dealing with the fallout of the fraud could be the cause, but such is life.”

Recounting the moment the fraud unfolded, she adds, “I was at a movie screening, and later in the evening, during the interval, I checked my phone and saw a notification that a sum in USD had been charged to my credit card. It was for 2.42 lakh, and I was like, ‘Yeh kya hai? Is it some kind of mistake?’ I thought about waiting, assuming it would be reversed. Just like before, when I was in Kerala, a similar transaction for a smaller amount of 35 USD occurred and was immediately reversed. I remember temporarily blocking my card, but everything was fine then.”

“I came back, and raised a dispute with the bank. Next day I connected to the cyber helpline and then completed the process of filing an FIR and bank visits for the next two days. All our lives today are on our mobile and in today’s time it’s difficult to spot frauds that easily, you can’t be too careful, kabhi kisi din ho jata hain,” shares Kulhari.

Regarding the ongoing investigation, Kulhari remains hopeful. “It usually takes a 30 to 45 days period. The investigation is conducted at various levels. Banks will work at their end and so will the cyber cell and Police department to find out what actually happened. At my end I am hoping that the amount has not gone as its credit card and I did block it immediately. So I believe I should be able to hold the amount back and it shouldn’t be a problem.”

Finding a silver lining, she adds, “Today I know that acidity is a big issue and I need to be eating on time, so everything in life happens for a purpose. It happens multiple times in our lives when things are not going in our favour and a person gets caught into a whirlwind of affairs. So it’s just a matter of time, it can be at your side or against you and I feel we as humans can only surrender as everything passes.”

Despite the stress, the actor maintains her professional momentum. “Kaam toh rukta nahin hain,” she notes, as she prepares to head to the Melbourne Film Festival for her film, Full Plate, which has been doing the festival rounds for several months. Additionally, Kulhari has wrapped up her latest film, Kinaare, which is currently in post-production.

Actor Kirti Kulhari has allegedly lost Rs. 2.44 lakh in a credit card fraud involving four unauthorised international transactions. Mumbai’s Amboli Police has registered a case against unidentified persons and launched an investigation, according to ABP news.

The incident took place on the night of July 24, when Kulhari was heading to a multiplex in Andheri West. She received a bank alert informing her that $2,525 had been charged to her credit card for a payment to Aeromexico Airlines. She immediately contacted the bank, which found that four transactions totalling Rs. 2,43,852 had been made and blocked the card to prevent further misuse.

Preliminary inquiries reportedly indicate that Kulhari had not shared her card PIN or banking details with anyone. Police suspect that her information may have been accessed digitally and are examining her banking records and other digital trails with the help of cyber experts.

The incident took place on the night of July 24. Preliminary inquiries reportedly indicate that Kirti Kulhari had not shared her card PIN or banking details with anyone.

Tannishtha Chatterjee is quite a warrior. The filmmaker and actress has been quietly battling stage 4 oligometastatic cancer, and had the persistence to complete a film after her diagnosis and amid her chemotherapy sessions. Written and directed by Tannishtha, Full Plate, a lighthearted, slice-of-life take on social disparity and class commentary, will premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in September.

The film revolves around Amreen (Kirti Kulhari), a talented cook, housewife and mother of three, and how she must navigate unfamiliar vegan cuisine and class divides after her husband’s accident forces her to find work. The film also stars Monica Dogra, Sharib Hashmi, and Indraneil Sengupta in pivotal roles.

Tannishtha told us, “The shoot was done before I was diagnosed but we completed the post production after my diagnosis. I got back to working on the film after my second chemotherapy session and while it was tough, the film was a welcome distraction for me and it touches upon a relevant topic. My cast and I will be attending the premiere at Busan, we are thrilled.”

The actress wants to own her battles instead of concealing them and won’t be wearing a wig on the red carpet. “I am going to sport this bald look on the red carpet,” she concluded.

During a recent interview, Kirti Kulhari spoke about feeling sidelined during the promotions of her film, Pink (2016). Kirti stated that during Pink’s promotions, her co-actor Taapsee Pannu became the ‘Pink girl’ and shared that it affected the equation between the two actresses.

When we spoke to Taapsee about Kirti’s statements, she said, “How would I know? She has the full right to feel the way she does. I would be the last person to tell someone what you are feeling is wrong. If someone has felt a certain way, I’m sure there’s a reason.”

Taapsee said, “That person voiced whatever they did. Had I known that she felt sidelined in any way, I would have liked to speak to her at that point and ask if there was something I could do to make it better. Unfortunately, I did not know there was an issue at that point. So, I don’t know what to do with it. I can’t discard her feelings.”

Talking about their equation, Taapsee acknowledges that Kirti and she might not be close friends but maintains that their professional relationship remained unchanged. “Since she saw our relationship or situation in a certain way, maybe she felt the distance from me. I always kept it professional with her, and I still do. I worked with her in Mission Mangal as well, and I don’t think professionally anything changed for me, because from where I saw it, I did not see any disparity. So, for me, it was the same girl who I worked with in Pink,” she said.

Meanwhile, rumours are rife that Taapsee will be stepping into Priyanka Chopra’s shoes for the sequel of Aitraaz. While the actress doesn’t deny the rumours, she explains, “These things are very confidential. Someone who’s investing too much money in this wouldn’t like it to be announced or talked about in any other way. So, I will let the right people talk about how they are approaching the casting.”

Why her?” That was the question many viewers had after watching Kirti Kulhari in Badass Ravi Kumar’s trailer. Interestingly, the actor too had a similar question—“Why me?”—when actor-musician Himesh Reshammiya offered her a role in the Keith Gomes-directed spoof action comedy. After all, Badass Ravi Kumar was wildly different from the powerful stories, like Shaitaan (2011), Pink (2016) and Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors (2020), that Kulhari has leaned towards in her 15-year career.

“I was shocked. But Himesh told me, ‘I need an actor for this role.’ I was flattered that he thought of me for his film,” she smiles.

Kulhari laughs that her hairdo, a short bob at the time, was another reason why Reshammiya thought she would be the perfect fit to play a glamorous assassin. She recalls, “He said, ‘I really like your hairstyle. I want that look for the part.’”

The actor knew that the audience would be surprised to see her in the action comedy that demands suspension of logic. She viewed it not as a deterrent, but as an opportunity to challenge the audience’s perception of her. More importantly, she wanted to challenge her own biases about the kind of actor she wants to be.

“I am seen as a serious actor. But I realized that I didn’t want any strict notions about me, not just from the audience, but also myself. I wanted to shatter any judgment I harboured for spoof films. I also wanted to break the perception I had of myself as an actor. Until a few years ago, I wouldn’t have said yes to a film like this.”

In the days between the trailer’s release and the film hitting the marquee, Kulhari got it all, from compliments to criticism. “People are telling me that I’m looking hot. I’m surprised by it because I had a glam look in Four More Shots Please! There are also many comments where people have criticized me. In fact, this is the first time in my career that I have been trolled. People have written, ‘Aisi bhi kya majboori thi [that you had to do this film]?’ When you’re used to being praised for your work, this feels like a different experience. I asked myself if I was at ease receiving criticism, and the answer was yes. It felt freeing.”

When actor Kirti Kulhari cut her hair short, it was a surprise to her fans. While many loved her new avatar, there was one section of the audience who made assumptions about the actor’s sexual orientation because of her new hairstyle.

Kirti shared that her decision to cut her hair wasn’t about starting a trend but was simply something that felt right at the time. She told Bollywood Bubble in an interview about how she received messages from women saying she had inspired them to do the same and was surprised by how a small action could have such a big impact.

However, she also addressed the societal pressure surrounding haircuts and the expectations imposed by family members. When asked about a particularly shocking comment she received, the actor recalled, “The day I wrapped up the shoot of Hisaab Barabar, I went home and chopped my hair off. When I did, I started getting comments suggesting that people were expecting me to come out as a lesbian. They were saying, ‘She’s going to come out of the closet and announce it soon—just because of her hair.’ So, if I have long hair, I’m not a lesbian, but the moment I cut it, you assume I am? Because your attachment to someone being a homosexual is how she keeps her hairstyle. I was rather amused by the way people see what you do through their lens.”

Years of manifestation has brought Kirti Kulhari on the cusp of taking her career international. She is set to begin work on her maiden international venture, Sach Is Life. But while there is excitement, there is also nervousness about stepping into a real-life story.

“I have wanted to explore work opportunities outside. The kind of work that I do in India and the kind of actor I am, going international felt like a natural progression. I am a little nervous about playing a real-life character. The person will watch me play her on screen and could well say, ‘I didn’t enjoy this,’” she begins.

At the same time, the actor is certain that such a story compels you to approach it with complete honesty. Debutant director Harsh Mahadeshwar’s film is about an Indian couple based in the US, who are determined to provide their three-year-old son, diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a life that he deserves. While Kulhari plays mother Daisy Munshi, Jim Sarbh will be seen as her on-screen husband.

“I am a sucker for real-life stories. I get 10 times more excited about a true story than a fictional one. Daisy-ji’s life revolves around their son, Sachin. She is hands-on and takes three hours to take Sachin through his morning routine. She happens to be the carrier of this particular gene, and it weighs upon her like a rock, even today.”

That Kulhari has an equally passionate co-star in Sarbh makes her all the more excited. “Jim is not only an intelligent actor, but also an intelligent human being. He is someone who will be driven to tell a story. Only if he knows he can dive into the story with his time, efforts and can do justice to it, will he sign it.”

From the late Irrfan Khan to Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Indian cinema has had successful exports to the West. Does she plan to follow in their footsteps? Not really. Kulhari wants to surrender to the universe’s plans.

She says, “I want to follow Kirti's footsteps. As the world opens up to me, I will make my decisions. I want to work in the West and strike a balance with my career in India. But am I aiming for [more international projects] actively? No. I am doing my thing, taking each day as it comes and hoping for the best. Comparisons are unavoidable. people, who want to draw comparisons, will do that. But it's not in my control so why should I bother about it?"

Kirti Kulhari, who made her debut with the 2010 comedy Khichdi and is making a comeback to the genre in the film’s sequel, is gung ho about coming full circle with the film, which will see her reprise her character, Parminder.

“I returned to this film with a bang when I got the offer. I started off with Khichdi, and I was super excited when I was approached for this (the sequel) again. A part of me was also like, ‘Ab toh main dikha dungi’,” gushes the actor.

Recalling her first day on the sets of the sequel, Kulhari says she was back to her character’s natural and light-minded self. “The last time, my first question to my director (Aatish Kapadia) was how he wanted me to prepare for the role and he told me to just leave my brain at home, come on set and have fun. This time, there was no conversation with him. He just knew that I remembered Parminder,” she shares. adding that on the first day of the shoot itself, she was put into a “hilariously over-the-top dramatic scene”.

“I think I killed it. I just went for it, and my team, who have seen me do serious stuff the past few years, were like, ‘Who’s this person?’ I asked myself, ‘Do I still have it?’”

Talking of this ‘comeback’ to comedy, the 38-year-old, who came in for appreciation for her performance in her OTT debut Four More Shots Please! says, “[The show] was also comedy but was misunderstood. And here I am, doing Khichdi, which is exactly the kind of comedy that people think is comedy.”

Kulhari, who announced her first film as a producer last year, is aware that the road ahead isn’t easy. “After establishing myself as an actor, it’s sort of a panga that I’ve taken. I’ve spent the last year meeting people and understanding a lot of things about the industry, the market, and the way things function,” she says, adding that turning producer has brought its own share of learnings.

“When you’re acting, you’re living in your own body, limited to one aspect of it. You’re in a comfort zone while playing a role. But being a producer, I’ve started noticing a lot of things around me on the set about people, and the dos and don’ts I should be following now as a producer,” she wraps up.

Actor Kirti Kulhari, who flaunted a new crew cut recently, took to social media to share a video from a construction site in a forest-like area, which left her fans wondering if she was moving away from Mumbai and her career. 

Clearing the air, the 37-year-old says, “I don’t have to quit one thing to have something else. I will continue to act in films and produce them. The plan is to move out of Mumbai in a couple of years.”

Kulhari’s new abode is in Wada in Maharashtra’s Palghar district. She bought the land two years ago and has spent one-and-a-half years finalizing a design for her home. The Human (2022) actor has named her home after the the 2022 Kannada blockbuster, Kantara. “I was intrigued by its meaning — a mystical forest. The people in the film live a simple life, which is also my ideology,” Kulhari says.

Do these new beginnings have anything to do with her divorce from her husband Saahil Sehgal in 2021? She says, “It’s the new me. I am discovering myself everyday. It has got nothing to do with my past. Being in the marriage, or after it ended, or now having my new home, it’s all about finding my space.”

“I was getting a little tired of city life. Mumbai is beautiful, but the city makes life feel like a struggle. I got quite fascinated with the idea of living outside of Mumbai.”

Ditching her long locks, Kirti Kulhari debuted a short hairdo recently in a video on social media that grabbed a lot of eyeballs. Talking to us about what inspired the new look, the Pink actress tells us, “I wanted to start afresh and do something extreme. And no, this hairdo is not for a film, but a personal choice.”

Elaborating on where this feeling really stems from, the Four More Shots Please! actress says, “It comes from the fact that I am comfortable with who I am now. I grew up with a lot of self-doubt and low self-esteem issues. ”

Kirti says, “When you aren’t comfortable in your skin because you hear so many opinions, you are always trying to get validation from others around you. Over the last few years, my self esteem has gone up and I have become confident about who I am. I think I have just started operating a lot from a space of freedom and not from fear. This hairdo is just an extension of that and a representation of the freedom I feel as a person now.”

Kirti says that she was aware of the fact that traditionally, long hair is considered a symbol of beauty for Indian women and that as an actress she could be required to wear a long hairdo for most parts. “It’s almost like a panga I took. I just wanted to make a point that you can be anybody from any field, and if you can live your life the way you want to there’s no greater satisfaction than that. That’s real freedom. I think wanting to experience that freedom is something that really encouraged me to go ahead and do this,” she explains

Not the one to follow norms in the choices she makes in her personal and professional life, she tells us, “I haven’t followed any norms as a heroine, too. So, the whole idea is to inspire others to find their own path. I am happy that a lot of people have called me brave after seeing my post online. So, do I feel more beautiful now with my short hair? I absolutely do, because the decision to do it and be okay with everything that follows has empowered me. Feeling empowered is the most beautiful feeling in the world. In the past, too, I have faced repercussions of living my life the way I want to, but that’s how I have been.”

After making her Bollywood debut with the comedy film Khichdi: The Movie (2010), Kirti Kulhari was largely seen in films that had her essaying intense roles. This year though, the actress returns to the genre with a couple of comic ventures, which includes Khichdi 2 that takes her back to where she started from.

Kirti says, “The thing with comedy is that you have to get good scripts, otherwise where do you get to see good comedies? Surprisingly enough, 2023 is going to be my year of comedies. Apart from Khichdi, I also have Nayeka (her production venture), which is a dark comedy.”

Talking about her first brush with a comedy film, Kirti says, “When I was approached for Khichdi: The Movie, I decided to prepare and do my homework for the role. I met director Aatish Kapadia and asked him how he would want me to prepare for the film. I was surprised when he said, ‘Just come on the sets and have fun’. It was rather liberating as I come from theatre background and was used to working vigorously on a character. I have seen the film around 10 times and I really enjoyed the experience of being in the theatre with the audience and going berserk.”

As life comes full circle, talking about her love for the genre, Kirti elaborates, “I love comedy, but my kind of comedy is not the slapstick comedy. I like situational comedies. As an actor, I don’t believe it when people say that doing comedy is more difficult than doing drama. Yes, comedy is difficult than what it seems. People think comedy is just about faffing around and real acting toh rone dhone mein aur intense scenes mein hoti hai. That’s not true. Both of them have their own challenges. It is possible that a certain actor is not capable of doing comedy the way some others are. I also believe that you can’t develop a flair for comedy. It’s not like you say ki main comedy karna seekhta hoon. I think if you really want to be funny, you should be able to laugh at yourself.”

Talking about actresses who she believes excelled in comic parts, she says, “Sridevi did some amazing comedy films like Chaalbaaz (1998). Even Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla have been great in this genre. In recent years, Seema Pahwa has been brilliant. I have also loved Supriya Pathak in Khichdi and Ratna Pathak Shah in Sarabhai vs Sarabhai.”

Kirti, who looks forward to exploring the genre more, says, “The audience will be surprised to see my comic side. The reason for this shift is the fact that I don’t take myself too seriously now. I am not as inhibited and conscious as I used to be. Over the years, I have really learnt to let go and you will see that in Nayeka. I am happy that now people will get to see the fun side of me.”

Kirti Kulhari has always managed to impress audiences with her choice of scripts and strong characters that she portrays on screen. However, the actor admits she is not “entirely satisfied” as an artiste yet. 

The reason? “I want a lot more. I have a lot of potential that is still not explored,” says Kulhari, adding, “My understanding of cinema and filmmaking is increasing day by day and I need to find people and scripts that can match my growth. So, am I getting the kind of scripts I really feel like doing? Not much. And that’s precisely the reason why I don’t do too much work either.”

The actor, who has played pivotal parts in films such as Mission Mangal (2019), Shaadisthan, The Girl on the Train (both 2021), etc. believes in doing one thing at a time and not burdening herself. “I am trying to find stuff that stimulates me. But now, being a producer, I am able to create that stuff for myself. I am not just restricting myself to acting. I’m also looking for scripts I really want to work on. I am able to contribute a lot more to what I feel my artistic requirements are,” says the actor, who launched her production house in January 2022 and will star in its first dark comedy thriller, Nayeka.

Last seen in Four More Shots Please! season 3 in 2022, Kulhari admits working on the show gave her career as well as her personal life a push: “It alleviated my positioning in the industry and people’s perception of me; I was never known to be a glam girl. People considered me a good actor, but the show gave me so much variation. Personally, too, it made me more comfortable about my body and increased my confidence to do intimate scenes on screen.”

Actor Kirti Kulhari recently said that she’s not too close to her Four More Shots Please (FMSP) co-stars Bani J, Maanvi Gagroo and Sayani Gupta. Reacting to that, Gagroo says, “In this season, Kirti was very much into herself. She preferred spending time alone and we girls totally respected that. As we have known each other for so long, we understand whether the person is upset or happy. So, we know when to leave the person alone and let her be. To sum it up, I would say that ab humein acting nahin karni padti dost hone ki. For me, we are friends forever.”

Having worked together in three seasons of the show, the Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020) actor feels the bonding among the female cast members is quite strong. “Very much like in FMSP, we are an off-screen girl gang too and we are well connected. The four of us also have a chat group and we keep it updated with regular girly talks,” the actor says.

On work front, the Tripling actor is happy playing characters that have no physical attributes attached to them. “Earlier, I used to play plus-sized, chubby characters. My frame of mind was that I’ll be conveying some kind of message attached to these social stigmas, but I don’t do that anymore. As far as getting image-bound is concerned, I have realised that it’s all in my hands. When I’ll put on weight, similar roles will follow. I am glad that things have changed and I’m getting to play a variety of roles now,” the actor ends.

How does it feel to have two shows dropping on the same day? “It gets hectic with the promotions,” warns Maanvi Gagroo, before stating that she wouldn’t trade “the fantastic feeling” for anything else. The universes of Tripling 3 and Four More Shots Please 3 are far divorced from one another, so are her characters. While she had to portray the confused Chanchal in Tripling, she had to also be convincing as the irrational and impulsive Siddhi in the Amazon Prime Video series. Over to the actor as she talks about the juggling act.  

Edited excerpts from the interview.

In Four More Shots Please [FMSP], each character has a definite arc. So as Siddhi [her character], I had more to do in terms of performance. Tripling also [let me perform], but the show is about the fun element. Chanchal [her character] is not someone who cracks jokes or delivers punchlines. She doesn’t have that impact, but Siddhi does.

Yes, Sumeet [Vyas] and I had discussed that we had already explored road trips in the first two seasons. We knew the audience loved the three characters, their parents and the familial dynamics. We wanted to stick to these pointers. Sumeet and I [felt] that season two was scattered, where we were going from one place to another. We lost the crux — the siblings and the family. By constraining the story to the family and their dynamics, we got the essence of season one back in the new edition.

I told the director [Neeraj Udhwani] that I wished we had delved deeper into this. Chanchal is comparing her parents’ marriage to her relationship with Pranav [Kunaal Roy Kapur]. If they broke up, she would lose hope in her own marriage. But I wish we had gone deeper [to figure out] how it is wreaking havoc on her marriage. Here, the problem gets solved simplistically. But relationship issues are not solved overnight. It may be [explored] in the next season.

During the pandemic, I was sh*t scared for my parents and the elders in my family. Right after the first wave, we shot FMSP. While performing [the track after Siddhi’s father’s death], I insisted on calling him dad, because I address my father as Papa. I had to avoid going in that direction. I was confused about what Siddhi goes through after [his demise]. I didn’t agree with Siddhi being so annoying and erratic. In season two, she was the most loved character, and I feared that now, she would be hated. While shooting, I hated her, but the makers made me believe that it will all come together in the end. Finally, when I saw the season, I understood that she didn’t know how to process her emotions.

My relationship with the actors is similar to that depicted on screen. With Sumeet and Amol [Parashar], it is like a brotherly relationship. I call up Sumeet whenever anything happens in my life. I am always bullying Amol and getting away with it. I have a different equation with each of the girls of FMSP. If I need to hang, I call Sayani [Gupta]. For gossip, I call Bani J, and when I want to discuss career choices, I call Kirti [Kulhari].

Actor Kirti Kulhari forayed into films 12 years ago. But, she feels that she has grown tremendously on the personal as well as work front over the last few years. Besides venturing into film production and turning into a biker, the actor has also added a new facet to her personality — the ability and courage to express herself freely: “I am not trying to box myself anymore. I have become more fearless and life is becoming easier as I am not overplanning.”

The 37-year-old adds that the idea of starting a production house came about suddenly: “It just happened one day, and I stepped into it without much planning.”

Kulhari explains that the changes in her personality did not occur overnight. She says, “Empowerment doesn’t happen overnight. I had to work on this attitude for years... to believe that everything is happening for me to learn from it and not feel like a victim.”

On the work front, the Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019) actor is busy brainstorming ideas as a producer. “There is a lot of mediocre work happening in the industry. So, as a producer, I am trying to do things that will fill the gap and creatively satisfy me as an artiste as well. I feel humein kuch bhi dhang se karna nahin aata hai. We are capable of messing up the simplest of stories. So, as a producer, my aim is to tell simple stories in an interesting way,” Kulhari signs off.

When Amazon Mini TV revealed its new slate last week, the one film that caught everyone’s attention was 'The List'. Through the lead couple, essayed by Kirti Kulhari and Angad Bedi, writer-director Gaurav Dave shows how we function in a mundane and almost mechanical loop of daily chores and duties, reducing our life to a to-do list. Kulhari remembers how the short film’s title caught her off-guard.

“When I saw it was called 'The List', I did not know what to expect. The film, in an interesting way, talks about the monotony of our lives. Do we create our own to-do lists or are we run by the conditioning we go through from the time we are born? The film explores the philosophy of free will versus by-design. It discusses life, existence and humanity,” says the actor.

She was bowled over by how the satire explored the theme of consumerism and its effect on modern living. “I liked the way the film talks about our world of technology and consumerism. It almost seems as if the solution to all our problems is shopping. It’s taking us away from ourselves, and when that happens, you are bound to lose connection with others.”

To further his idea of how human beings have become programmed by society, Dave adopted a fascinating treatment for the September 22 offering. The leading lady elaborates, “The characters don’t speak a word till the film’s climax. They are robotic. As an actor, it was interesting to be part of something where I don’t have to emote. All the life that we put into roles was taken away [when essaying] this character.”

I have been to Ladakh a couple of times: Stayed there for almost a month when shooting for Bard Of Blood; went there again for some other work, and always came back feeling a connection with the place. However, I never really got to explore it because I have motion sickness. 

Last year, I decided to change that and do a bike trip to Ladakh. It seemed like an adventurous and exciting solution to my problem—I could finally move around in the mountains without getting sick.

Last year in November, I bought a Royal Enfield Classic 350. Though I had ridden a two-wheeler before, I had never ridden a motorbike. I had to learn and practice riding it on Mumbai’s pothole-laden roads, manoeuvring the traffic alongside other vehicles that were often too close for proximity. In hindsight, it (kind of) prepared me for Ladakh, a trip I was planning in July-August. It’s summertime there then. The days are adequately hot and you get to enjoy Ladakh in all its natural beauty.

I started putting things together with a friend from Ladakh in April, but it didn’t work out. It just happened that another friend, Priyanka Chandra, had just finished working on a music festival there. She put the whole itinerary together and I just showed up. The others who were to join us dropped out, and eventually it was just Priyanka and me. It was perfect—I wanted to be on my own, enjoy the trip at my pace, and have some me time. A lot of planning went into ensuring we skip the touristy places, more so because it was tourist season. We did find a lot of people on our way back from Pangong lake while crossing the Changla pass. Otherwise, we mostly had the whole place to ourselves.

We started the ride from Saspol, went to Hanu Village, and came back the next day.

The route for the next week was Saspol-Kharu-Chumathang-Nyoma-Chusul-Pangong Tso-Tansgte-Leh—800 kilometres in eight days! We reached out to Stanzin Chokphel, an actor, who has a production house in Ladakh. He was of great help for local connections, because we hadn’t planned the days down to every detail. Most of the things we did were impromptu: Going where we felt like and camping where we felt like, knowing we were safe because the Indian army is stationed here. On day seven, we camped at a secluded stretch, close to a village called Merak, right before Pangong Tso because the sky was so beautiful.

I was advised against taking my Classic 350, so I had to rent a bike in Ladakh. We reached out to Sushil Chaudhary, founder and CEO of Picturetime, an inflatable theatre company that installed the world’s highest-altitude theatre—at 11,562 ft—in Ladakh last year. He arranged for two bikes for me to test: A Himalayan Royal Enfield and a Yezdi. I chose the Himalayan. It is different in terms of design, height, and structure compared to the Classic 350 that I was used to. I wondered if I would be comfortable, but to my surprise, the Himalayan is an absolute darling in the mountains. It’s so strong and sturdy; It weighs 200 kilos but still moves like a breeze. It never broke down or gave me trouble.

No matter how confident you are, a bike is not the same as a four-wheeler—it can skid. That’s always at the back of your mind. The only way to not let that ruin your ride is to take all safety measures and not panic. Fifty per cent of the roads in Ladakh are beautiful, and 50 per cent are pathways made of stone and gravel. Honestly, you could skid at any point. I am not very proud of saying this, but I just went with the flow, sans a safety jacket or knee pads. I rode wearing normal track pants, a regular jacket, trekking shoes, and a full helmet. I’m so grateful and blessed that while my bike did fall four-five times, it wasn’t in full motion. I was unhurt. But it’s better to be safe than sorry, so always hire the right gear.

Ladakh is very woman-friendly. You feel safe: there’s no eve-teasing and people readily help you out. It’s one of the few places in India that displays evident gender equality. It is a matriarchal society where both sexes are treated like they matter and are valued for who they are. Also, riding is gender-neutral. It is not about being male or female—you’re just a rider. The beauty is that everyone wears the same gear, so unless you look closely, you don’t know if it’s a man or a woman riding the bike.

Toilets are usually a concern for me. When you are travelling pan-India, unclean toilets are a thing and that’s quite a bummer. In Ladakh, I preferred going in nature rather than trying out dirty toilets. Many people do that. There are stretches when there is barely a soul in sight, and you can stop your bike and do your job.

My first halt was a quaint boutique hotel called Moljoks in Saspol. It’s a new place with few rooms and great food put together by a young chef. Explore smaller places such as Shey, Nyoma, Hanu, and Hanle—there’s an observatory in Hanle, so if you love star-gazing, this is where you should be. We camped at Hanu, Chusul, and by the Pangong lake. At Chumathang, we experienced the hot springs.

Riding a bike on this terrain lets you experience freedom and liberation like nothing else can. I’m so grateful I could do this, and met some wonderful people on the trip, which is always the point of new journeys. I wish we could experience this warmth and friendliness everywhere we go.

Now that I have been bitten by the biker’s bug, some day I’ll ride from Mumbai to Ladakh.

- Ladakh is a tourist-friendly biker’s paradise with many places to stay and eateries catering to travellers. 

- Eat at Tsas, a newly-opened fine dining restaurant that has amazing food that’s also economical. It’s about 10 minutes from Leh. 

- There’s also Alchi Kitchen in Alchi village, close to Saspol where I stayed for the first two days of my trip. The proprietor Nilza Wangmo makes Ladakhi cuisine.

- Do the monasteries: Go to Thiksey for sure, but also stop by at any of the others that draw you in on your way. Buy prayer flags for yourself, and your friends and families back home. You’ll find them all across Ladakh. I love the sight of small bridges with criss-crossing garlands of prayer flags flapping in the air—it’s mesmerizing.

- Check out the Ladakhi designer stores. I walked into Jigmat and Namza. They have haute couture Ladakhi costumes. You don’t necessarily have to buy anything, but it’s fun to browse.

- Take time to get out of your car and scoop up some Multani mitti (Fuller’s earth) straight from the small hills near Leh.

- Visit Pangong lake: It’s beautiful in winters and summers alike. There are very few things that compare to it at first sight. Spend a day by the lake and camp around there at night.

The year began on a positive note for Kirti Kulhari who turned producer with Nayeka. As she took the film on floors recently, the actor-producer welcomed Sharad Kelkar on board. The actor, who was recently seen in The Family Man 2, is taken by the dark comedy written by director Ajaykiran Nair. “I loved Ajaykiran’s writing, which made me say yes to the project. Being Kirti’s debut production, the film is all the more special,” he says.

Nayeka sees Kulhari essay the role of a struggling female actor, who accidentally gets caught in a crime. Kelkar, who plays the leading man, describes his character as “a badass with a great sense of humour.” “Kirti is wonderful with her craft, and gets into the details of her character. Usually, it takes [actors] the first few days to adjust to each other, but we hit it off from the word go.”

For his role, the actor has grown a moustache. “I can’t play my part honestly if I am not dedicated to my role. It’s not just what’s on paper that makes the character; the look, costumes, and physical traits also [shape] a character. So, I grew a moustache rather than using a fake one.”

The past few years saw actor Kirti Kulhari in a bunch of web shows, including Four More Shots Please!, Bard Of Blood, Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors and the recently released, Human. But now, she wants to take a break from web series and focus on films.

She tells us, “Web series are exhaustive and really exhausting. Doing one web show is like doing three-four films. They take a lot out of me, as an actor.”

Kulhari adds that unless a show comes her way that helps her up her game, she wouldn’t want to invest her time in any: “I get totally sucked into my work. For me, going to the set is never a party, where I get to chill. Sometimes, it even takes six months to finish a series, and as a result, I’m unable to give time to other things. Pichle do-teen saal mein maine kaafi web series kar li hain.”

Her inclination towards films also stems from the fact that she wants to explore the format of two-hour-long storytelling. “I want to go back to the idea of what we can achieve in two hours. The web has its own pros, which I’ve enjoyed, but I enjoy telling a story in two hours. I want to finish off a project in 30-35 days and then move to the next one,” the 36-year-old shares.

Talking of her latest web show, Human, her on-screen kiss with actor Shefali Shah created a lot of buzz. Talking about how she is working towards normalizing the representation of homosexuality on screen, The Girl On The Train (2021) actor says, “I don’t know when this will become normal for us. I knew it would be spoken about, but that didn’t bother me for even a second. The fact that it’s become normal for me is something I’m happy about.”