Actress Madhurima Tuli: “People can pull you down, but you have to just move on in life” – EXCLUSIVE!

Actress Madhurima Tuli is happy with whatever she has achieved so far despite coming from a non-film background. But the actress who has not limited herself only to one medium is hungry for more. “I still have a long way to go,” says Madhurima as she chats with Cine Blitz about her journey in the entertainment industry, her best-known works Baby and Chandrakanta, and the artists’ life.

How do you look at your journey in the entertainment industry so far?

Madhurima Tuli: My journey has been a roller coaster ride. But it’s been fun. There have been a lot of ups and downs because I am not from the industry. I didn’t know how to survive in this industry, because I think you have to be always ready to go for a meeting and be socially active. I think I lacked some of that. So, maybe because of that, I got left behind a little. But I’m very happy with whatever I’ve achieved. Being from a non-industry family, getting a film and doing a TV show as a lead, is something which I feel very happy about.

You worked in multiple mediums. At any point did you feel like focusing on only one medium? Or was it always about survival?

Madhurima Tuli: I think if I had focused only on one medium, I wouldn’t have survived. Because it’s such a cutthroat industry that you leave one role and somebody else gets it and that person takes all the credit. Luckily, I didn’t leave one medium to focus on another. Because in today’s times, mediums don’t matter. What matters is the characters you play and the work you do.

Sometimes a character is so good and the series becomes such a huge hit that you become an overnight star. It’s very important to be seen. Otherwise, people forget. I think you have to push your boundaries to get there.

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You had a striking presence and a good role in Baby (2013). But did that work turn into you getting more substantial work? Or was it again going back to the start?

Madhurima Tuli: I met a few good directors after Baby. Unfortunately, things just didn’t work out. Maybe I was not in the right frame of mind, or maybe I was not ready for it. Maybe I was not good enough for a particular character. Sometimes it’s just not meant to be. Maybe I had to struggle a little harder. Then I got the main lead in Chandrakanta (on Colors TV). I thought that was a great opportunity and I took it. And that helped in many ways.

How did you cope with the phase when things were not materializing?

Madhurima Tuli: Honestly, the phase after Baby was a little frustrating because I was expecting something out of it, but it was just not materializing. And I was feeling very low and disheartened because after one film you want to do more films. But then I thought that I’d never move forward if I remained like that. I thought waiting more would only add to my worries. It was better to keep myself occupied and take up whatever was coming my way. At least I’d be doing something that I love, acting. So, that’s how I kept myself happy.

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Was dancing a part of your life since childhood or did you cultivate that interest later on?

Madhurima Tuli: Dancing has always been my passion. My mom put me into Kathak at the age of three, then Odyssey. But more than dancing, I was more inclined towards being an athlete. That was a career I was looking forward to pursuing. But I knew the dance form. I have an idea of sur and taal. So, when I started growing up, that’s what helped me groom better. I mean, like how I won Ms. Uttaranchal where they wanted me to show a talent where I could perform. So, gradually, I started developing a liking for dancing and performing.

You have completed 15 years in the entertainment industry. What kind of work do you want to do in the future? You’ve done a film with Arbaaz Khan recently.

Madhurima Tuli: Yeah. Honestly, I don’t want to talk about it right now. I would wait for the announcement to happen. I’m waiting for the release of projects that I have completed as well as the ones I’m working on. I would like to do more commercial films as well as subjects based on women’s empowerment. I would like to experiment with all kinds of roles because that’s what I’m here for, to act.

Do you think artists are a misfit for a regular life?

Madhurima Tuli: Well, I think it’s part and parcel of working in this industry. You do have a regular life. It’s up to you how you take it. If I’m doing a show, I go to a nine-to-six call time job, I come back home. The only difference I think would be that when you’re very popular, you cannot step out of the house. You get to meet people. You have to be always a little more secluded. But otherwise, I think it’s all very normal. We just think that artists’ lives are very different. But I think they have to live a very ordinary life to perform so many characters. If you’re always in a star zone, you cannot perform. You have to live a very normal life.

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What is your regime to remain physically as well as mentally fit?

Madhurima Tuli: I think the COVID times have taught us a lot. How to survive, how to be strong. I think only a family and having good people around you can help you be mentally stable. Work doesn’t always keep you happy. Sometimes you need to take a break and just be free. Just be happy with your family and loved ones.

And physically, I think we all know how important exercising is for us. I prefer yoga over gymming. If you just do ten Surya Namaskars every day, it tones your body entirely. Sometimes I enjoy jogging and swimming too. I might start gymming soon because I think it’s a different form. You go out and meet people, it’s a different way of living.

In terms of the way the entertainment industry functions, what is something that you have changed your mind about or what is something that you have made peace with?

Madhurima Tuli: I still have a long way to go. I haven’t made peace with anything. I’m going to see how far it goes. If it happens, well and good. If it doesn’t happen, I’m okay with good content. I am not looking forward to becoming a super mega-star, but you never know. This industry is such that it can just happen to anybody, anytime. There’s no age bar.

So, I am just going with the flow. I’m working towards my goal and meeting new people, good people. I think the most important thing is that you have to be nice and kind. That’s what I’ve learned. People can be a little rude here. People can pull you down, but you have to just move on in life.