YRKKH actor Shruti Ulfat: Amazing co-stars is the ultimate bonus on set

Shruti Ulfat, who is seen as Vidya Poddar in Rajan Shahi’s Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, which is produced under his banner Director’s Kut Production, says she welcomes opportunities as they come. However, it depends on what kind of opportunity it is and whether it is in harmony with what she wants in her life. 

She said, “If something does not help me grow as a person or puts me in a regressive mode, then I do not want it. I need to move forward; I want to grow as an artist with opportunities that make me happy and content. If an opportunity in my profession makes me happy, helps me grow, and continuously progresses for the better without causing harm to anyone, then definitely that opportunity is most welcome.”

“But if I'm not happy, if I am in two minds about whether it is right or wrong, or if it is not meant for me but I have to do it, then I do not welcome such opportunities at all,” she added.

But what do you do when there are multiple opportunities? “Sometimes there is definitely more than one opportunity at a time, and sometimes it happens that two shows come along, and you have to choose which one you want to do. So that’s very easy because it’s about what you want, what Shruti wants as an artist, as a professional artist, as an actor, as a performer,” she said.

“If I see something that I have not done before, but if I see a possibility knocking on my door, where I get to learn something new or play a new character, I would definitely go for that because I want to explore. We actors are associated with the word versatility. It is connected to us, so I definitely want to explore that in me as an artist,” she added.

She also believes that the environment on the set enhances an actor’s performance. She said, “The environment, the work culture, the fun culture, the happiness quotient —all of this is very, very essential on a set. See, if you are happy at heart and the people around you are your friends, you like being around them, you want them to be around, and your chemistry is good, and you bond well on set, then it definitely helps you in your performance because you work freely.”

“If the environment and production house are great, like here, luckily, I am very happy and blessed that we have a very good production house, DKP (Director’s Kut Production), which is a wonderful production house. Everyone, the director, the crew, everyone is so good, and the production is so focused. Rajan sir has been guiding everybody, and the way he conducts everything is really important. He has given everybody so much freedom to explore. There is a happy atmosphere, and if such an environment exists everywhere, then actors will definitely work well, as you can concentrate and focus solely on your performance. If you get amazing co-stars, then it’s like the cherry on top. Your give-and-take becomes good, your coordination improves, and then the performance also turns out great,” she added.

Sharing her personal experience, she further said, “Here, we all sit together and eat, chat, and have coffee. We are interested in each other's lives, and our scenes are amazing, which is also because our bonding was so good. That makes working a lot of fun. And I am very thankful and blessed to have such an atmosphere and environment where I work. I am grateful for that.”