Hitlist OTT Awards: Still audition, but now people know me, says Shreya Chaudhry

Bandish Bandits

She first met Anand Tiwari by chance - having bumped into him during the shoot of a commercial, she told him how she deeply admired his works. In a happy coincidence, a month later, Shreya Chaudhry got an audition call for Tiwari's directorial venture, Bandish Bandits. "During the auditions itself, I knew it would be a big deal if I bagged the part," recounts the actor, who has now become a familiar face, thanks to the success of the Amazon Prime Video series. Her performance as pop singer Tamanna has earned her a Best Actor (Series) nomination at the upcoming mid-day and Radio City Hitlist OTT Awards.

Bandish Bandits has opened doors for me. I am still going for auditions, but now, people have seen my work; that's an added advantage. People recognise me as Tamanna from the show. I have started getting better offers," says Chaudhry, who shared screen space with powerhouse performers Naseeruddin Shah, Atul Kulkarni and Sheeba Chaddha in the musical romance that studies the clash and confluence of classical sangeet and modern music.

According to the actor, it was a blessing in disguise that the series dropped online during the pandemic. "Everybody was at home due to the pandemic, so they were all watching OTT offerings. That, in turn, resulted in the creation and consumption of some fantastic shows. In the digital world, there is no room for mediocrity anymore." Ask her if a second season is on the anvil, and she says, "Nothing has been decided yet, but I hope there is a second [instalment]. Everybody wants to know what will happen to Radhe and Tamanna."

Cast your vote for the Hitlist OTT Awards
Shreya Chaudhry has been nominated in the Best Actor (Female): Series category for Bandish Bandits. The other nominees are:
>> Kirti Kulhari: Criminal Justice: Behind Closed Doors (Disney+Hotstar)
>> Masaba Gupta: Masaba Masaba (Netflix)
>> Prajakta Koli: Mismatched (Netflix)
>> Shreya Dhanwanthary: Scam 1992 (SonyLiv)
>> Sushmita Sen: Aarya (Disney+Hotstar)

Log on to www.hitlistottawards.com to cast your vote.
You can also vote via SMS. Send HITLIST <space> category name <space> your choice (a/b/c as on the website) to 57575.
Voting lines close on February 9.