Niyati Joshi - I Realized One Thing That TV Is My Calling (Actress)

Don't get carried away with whatever is going around you. Just be a good judge of what is right and what is wrong.

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

I am basically from Pune and I moved to Bombay in 2005 after my graduation. But before that, I had started modelling in Pune. We used to have these Miss Pune and all these pageants out there, so I did all that. Then 2006 I was a part of Femina Miss India. Then post that my first serial was Kuch Love Kuch Masti on Sahara One that was in 2003-04.

I used to do up and down Pune-Bombay that time. And then once I shifted I think everything started falling into place for me, then I did a couple of serials. My famous ones were 7 Phere, Ghar Ki Laxmi Betiya, Viruudh, Jassi Jaise Koi Nahi, Suno Har Dil Kuch Kehta Hai and a couple of them. And then I did a lot of ads too.

I have shot for more than 70 to 80 ads in the span of 15-16 years that I've been in this industry. Now we are sitting in 2020 and currently, I am doing Yeah Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai on Star Plus.

My journey has been quite unpredictable. I never planned anything to be very honest. There was only one thing I planned was that I wanted to get into modelling and acting. Acting was actually I never thought about it. Once I moved to Bombay, acting fell into it because you want to survive in Bombay and acting is the only way by doing daily soaps.

So, I actually never plan anything. Whatever work that i have learned till date I am very happy and I got a lot of success in it. And this is where I am today.

2. Did you ever think or dream of doing a tv show?

Well yes, as a kid every time I used to look at all the serials, I used to always think that one day I'm going to do it. I was always very attracted towards this glamorous world, but trust me after I entered this industry. I realize it is not glamorous at all. There's a lot of hard work. And if you really want to climb up the ladder you have to prove yourself.

So I did dream of it and like I mentioned above. I started doing serials in 2003 and the big ones happened post my Femina Miss India, 2005-06. And now like I can't survive without acting, you know, I love being in front of the camera and it just gives me a different kick.

I did two movies also, one regional and one Bollywood. But I realized one thing TV is my calling. I just love the Saas-Bahu sagas or whatever characters I play on TV and I just feel that the reach for TV these days is way larger than anything else. So TV is my first love.

3. How can one approach their career and have the confidence and belief to make it on a tv show?

Now if you have to get into this TV industry, I feel what it was way back in 2005-06 from where I started to where it is today, there's a lot of difference. There's a lot of competition today. There are so many people so many actors. If somebody is offering you a certain role and if you just say no that I don't want to do it because whatever may be the reason there are tons of people behind you.

These days the production houses and channel pay, they really don't care. They want people in lesser money, the budgets have really gone down. So just be very thoughtful. Be very smart in the roles that you accepting today and just be very professional towards the work that you're doing because I see the newer generation these days, the respect that we used to have for our directors, co-stars or towards our work, I see that lacking in today's generation.

Today's generation I would talk about the newer people who have come in. We used to value the fame, the work we are getting but today one serial people get it and it just gets into their head and it's just that the person is like a different person.

I have come across a couple of them but everyone is not like that. Just be very professional, do your hard work and once your work is seen, people will automatically notice you for what you are.

4. If not this, what would you be doing?

If not this, I don't know actually but I would have been at the aviation industry may be a cabin crew. Like I was that one thing that I always was attracted towards it. In fact, got through us very famous international airline in 2005, but that time I was doing two serials.

I was doing Kumkum and I was doing 7 Phere and I remember I was supposed to leave in May, but somehow I just realized and I was like no dude I can't leave my TV industry and just go, so yeah, TV is the only thing.

5. For a complete outsider with no inroads, what advice would you like to give?

For a complete outsider, well I was an outsider. I have no godfather here. Whatever struggles, whatever heights that I have reached here is all because of my hard work. I remember I used to come from Pune. I used to go for auditions like one day I used to come in the morning, I used to go back.

I used to visit each and every production house like that time, you know, we had to go and give our portfolio's everywhere. Like door to door, we have to go and submit our Portfolios. So I remember doing all that like I had a list of like some 50-60 production houses and I used to call them, I used to do all that.

With my experience, I can just say one thing that there will be a lot of hawks around, trust me. They'll ask for a lot of favours, but it's all in your hand like if you wanted the clean way and if you are really good, people will automatically accept you for the way you are.

Be honest, work on yourself. Yes, you do need good PR skills, I lack a bit in that. You do need it because today if you need work you need to have certain contact like I won't say you need a godfather but you need certain contacts. Work on all these things and yes there is a lot of competition so be smart.

Be grounded, that is very important, please be grounded because you never know one day your up there and trust me the next day you will be back to scratch and then it will take you years to get back to where you are. Out of sight is out of mind here.

So whoever wants to get into this industry, it is a very safe industry I can say that. It's all up to you if you say no, the other person will never force you to do anything. So I would encourage a lot of people to get into it. Don't get carried away with whatever is going around you. Just be a good judge of what is right and what is wrong.

6. What is your mantra of success?

The mantra to my success, while I read this somewhere a long back and then actually stuck in my mind. So it basically says that you are the entrepreneur of your career, even if you are employed by others. So yes that so true especially for me and my industry.

7. Which is your favourite book and why?

I am not much into reading to be very honest. There are phases like sometimes I know I have read a lot of fiction. My favourite author is Nicholas Sparks. But at the same time, sometimes I read all these self-help books also.

I mean they do help, you know, when you are feeling a bit low you're feeling depressed or whatever but I believe lots in the secret that is one thing I definitely believe in it. I do a lot of affirmations every day. They have helped me in my life and it just makes me happy.

- Niyati Joshi (Actress)