Dil Dhadakne Do girl, Ridhima Sud comes on board Reema Kagti's Mr Chaalu, also featuring Fawad Khan; will be seen in John Abraham's wedding drama too
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 20, 2015)


Ridhima Sud remembers getting off a long and tiring flight, after an exhausting 20-hour schedule on a set, to make it in time for Zoya Akhtar's script-reading session of Dil Dhadakne Do. The actress was seen as Noori Sood in the film.

Recalling her first interaction with her director, she says, "Zoya told me that she was my movie mama and she still is! She has always made herself accessible to me. I have a family in Bombay and it's Zoya's," she says, adding that she mumbled a thank you, battering her eyelashes in confusion when Javed Akhtar walked up to her at the DDD premiere, praising her mazedar performance. "He has worked with actresses across five generations and for him to say something nice about my work meant a lot to me," she says.

The actress, who refuses to reveal her age, says that Bollywood's leading ladies can only ever be as old as they look. "I just auditioned for a role of the 16-year-old girl. So I'm as old as they think I am," she guffaws. The actress will next be seen as journalist Meera Sharma in Kajariya, a docu-feature by Madhurima Anand, which addresses several social issues, prominently, female foeticide. "I play a reporter who finds herself chasing a story she is not ready to handle. The movie will tour film festivals in Europe soon," she points out.

Ridhima has also shot portions for Satra Ko Shaadi Hai, a John Abraham production, which also features the actor in the lead. "It's not a love story, but a full-fledged wedding melodrama," she says, adding that she plays Cookie Hirani, a bindaas Bombay kudi, who's been dragged to a particular wedding in Bhopal and mayhem follows. "I am paired opposite Harshvardhan Rane and I never knew he was such a big heartthrob down South. TV star Barun Sobti too is a part of the cast, and I never knew the amount of fan-following he had either. I thought these boys were nobodies," she insists, adding that her only A-list co-star so far has been Ranveer Singh, in DDD.

Ridhima confirms that she has just finished reading the script for Reema Kagti's Mr Chaalu, also featuring Fawad Khan. "Yes! I am very excited about the film and have finished a reading for it," Ridhima told Mirror. The actress had moved to Italy at 17 and went to New York to study liberal arts and films, only to return, hoping to make it big in Bollywood. "You can never predict anything that's going to happen with a film until you're on the set, giving your shot," she smiles.

Subhash K Jha (DNA; June 9, 2015)


The Delhi girl who has a double-major in Political Science and Economics from New York University, can’t believe she is part of this big Bollywood movie with a cast of stalwarts. “I come from a family of flustered Panjus who can’t believe a girl from their clan had an acting plan. My father is a businessman. My mother’s family including my mother, are into academics. Interest in acting is the last thing they expected from me,” says Ridhima who took off to NY for a degree and then got herself a job in Wall Street, “Just so that my family is convinced that I’m capable of living up to their expectations.Then I resigned from the Wall Street job to pursue my dream.”

Landing up in Mumbai to pursue a career in films was not easy. Ridhima has three unreleased films to prove how tough the going can be for a newcomer not connected to the film industry. “I felt so out of place. The films that I did before Dil Dhadkane Do were not Bollywood stuff. One of them, Madhureeta Anand’s Kajariya, may release soon. Or so I hear,” sighs the pretty newcomer.

Ridhima got the role of Noorie after only one audition. “I didn’t have to struggle to get this role. But I couldn’t believe I’d be sharing screen space with all these huge names. It was like being thrown into the deep-end, pun intended,” she smiles.

Luckily for Ridhima everyone on board was cordial and warm. “The film’s co-writer Reema Kagti helped me find my way around. There I was with these heavyweights — all known and famous names. Luckily for me, everybody was very helpful, very nice. Their attitude helped me to relax and enjoy my part.”

She admits to improvising on her part. “I knew what I had to do. But I would do something more to scenes and then run off to a corner hoping nobody would be offended. I was extremely lucky to have a director like Zoya Akhtar, who was open to ideas.”

The reviews have made a mention of Ridhima’s debut. “To be noticed in a film that has so many big names is a blessing. I feel I am privileged. I could have easily been drowned, pun again intended. If I could float freely, it was because there were so many artistes to help and guide me. I’m grateful.”