Nidhi waits to strike

Life has come a full circle for Nidhi Bisht. Popularly known for her web personas, namely, Ekthi Kapoor and Caller Naina in TVF productions, the actress has written, directed and acted in some of the most popular videos churned out by the digital entertainment giant, The Viral Fever. While she catapulted to fame for her impersonation of soap queen Ekta Kapoor, or as Tanya Nagpal’s best friend in Permanent Roommates, Nidhi believes that she is finally getting her due, even if it is with a little delay.

TVF’s latest offering, Bisht, Please! shows Nidhi playing a lead role in the show. The story revolves around the life of a small-town girl, who comes to the big city, and her different trials with her boyfriend, colleagues, and a perverse boss.

The last character, apparently, is what triggered off the latest victim to speak up in real life against TVF’s CEO Arunabh Kumar, who has been absconding ever since an FIR was filed against him, accusing him of sexual harassment at work.

Arunabh Kumar

Thanks to the hullabaloo that has gripped the company and industry for the past couple of weeks, the release of the web series had to be delayed by two weeks. It’s been a trying few days for team TVF — including Nidhi — since.  

But she portrays a calm demeanour as she talks about the episode. “We wanted the matter to die down, so we decided to postpone it (the series),” she sighs.

According to Nidhi, the unintended interval has helped. “We didn’t want the show to be judged because of the controversy. Our marketing and social media team too did a great job of handling the situation. I am glad that the audiences trust our content, and separate it from the controversy,” asserts Nidhi, who came out in support of her founder, when the controversy first broke out. After taking much flak for the same, Nidhi is a lot more calculated when addressing the issue. “I am not allowed to comment about it, since the last time I did, it snowballed into a controversy. My corporate communication team should be able to help you in this regard,” she says, reluctant to utter a word.

It was when she met Arunabh at a party in 2009, that she “coincidentally” became a headhunting talent for the platform. A lawyer by profession, Nidhi came to the city of dreamers to pursue a career in acting. In 2010, she started her own theatre company, New Brain Theatre Folks, where she produced, directed and wrote plays. It was also here that she met aspiring actors like Nidhi Singh (today, a part of TVF’s Permanent Roommates) and Jitendra Kumar (of TVF Pitchers and Permanent Roomates). “Since I wrote and directed a lot of plays, I was always in touch with performers, and Arunabh was on the lookout for fresh talent. I just happened to fill the gap for Arunabh,” she explains.

While Nidhi takes pride in having written, produced, and directed a few shows for TVF, she is seemingly excited about facing the camera with Bisht, Please! “I think I have grown as an actor. I am better equipped to play this role today. Coming up with a female-oriented show was always part of the plan. The timing of our show is perfect because today people are more open to watching shows from a woman’s perspective,” she explains.

Apart from the shared surname with the show, Nidhi insists that she has nothing in common with the protagonist, Neetu. “Of course, I had to step into her shoes to make the character relatable. But there was a joke on the sets that sab mein Neetu hain, lekin Neetu mei thodi zyaada Neetu hain. I would say that she is way more idealistic and traditional than I am,” she observes, joking, “She is someone who won’t break a traffic signal, when no one’s looking. I am not as particular!”

The actress is “living the dream,” in her words, as she was only recently seen in the Anushka Sharma starrer, Phillauri. Nidhi believes that this is just the start of her dream run. “I have always dreamed of a career in films. I want to have a shelf life for at least 40 to 50 years! And for this, I only have the digital platform to thank.”