'When I Got The Paatal Lok Demo...,

‘...it was for a very, very big lead actor.’ ‘I looked at it and saw how beautiful she was. I was like, there’s no chance I’m getting it.’ ‘I auditioned and as luck would have it, they were looking for someone like me.’

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Niharika Lyra Dutt had a good 2024, as she featured in two big ticket shows, Call Me Bae and Doctors. Making into the glitzy world of Bollywood was a distant dream for this actor from a humble theatre background. But in the last few years, she was seen in many well-received shows including Pataal Lok, Eternally Confused and Eager for Love and Choona.I have been a Kuch Kuch Hota Hai fan. Since childhood, I have been Anjali. Obviously, I told my adult brain that these are dreams you don’t need to have. So I didn’t dream about Yash Chopra. I didn’t dream about Dharma,’ Niharika tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.​com.

How was your experience playing a doctor in Doctors?

I had the best time! It was possibly my most rewarding experience till date because I got most of the meat with Keyuri’s character. Also, the fact that she has gray shades was exciting to explore. Now, it has been released after two years, and I’m very nostalgic about that time we had as a team.I am very happy that it is being recognised.

Be it Sarah Matthews, the journalist you played in Pataal Lok or Keyuri Patel in Doctors, it must be surreal to play such earthy characters and depicting these professions.

(Theatre personality Konstantin) Stanislavski talked about what if, right? The question of Magic If. It’s always Lyra as Keyuri Patel or Lyra as Sarah Matthews. So it’s very interesting to think about this parallel universe, where I’m a completely different person and in a completely different world.