A TRYST WITH STARDOM

Triptii Dimri segued from her left-field roots straight to the animal park. The gamble has paid off.

- ANKUR PATHAK

WHEN ANIMAL OPENED in theatres, Triptii Dimri was in Bhopal shooting another film. A week into the release, as she made her way to the airport, the security guard acknowledged her, said he saw her movie. At the check-in, the woman behind the counter nodded in appreciation. When she finally boarded, the flight staff congratulated her on the release. It was then when it hit Dimri that her gamble on taking up a small role in a big film had paid off.

Something major had shifted and life was about to look a lot different. Until then, she had made three well-received films but none of them had triggered this reaction. “I was actually headed to Mumbai for Animal’s success party and it was on this journey that I realized that this film had really taken off,” Dimri says, beaming, proud of the fact that despite being advised against doing a part like Zoya Riaz, she stuck to her instincts.

The film released exactly a year ago and since then Dimri has been omnipresent on our screens. This year alone, she had Bad Newz, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video, solidifying her presence as a reliable commercial-film heroine, at ease in both indie as well as mainstream fare. And it’s not just the films alone—it’s her undeniable allure that has turned her into a household sensation.

But even before Animal, the more discerning viewers of Hindi cinema knew that she was a powerhouse of acting talent. With the quiet confidence with which she bathed in sunlight and swayed gently on the swing in Bulbbul, or the haunting vulnerability that she brought as the titular character in