Ridhi Dogra: Will do rom-com only if I can break some norms

Ridhi Dogra

I am all about love," says Ridhi Dogra gleefully, who has added a rom-com to her resume with Amazon miniTV's Badtameez Dil. But it wasn't only love in the air as the actor was juggling it with the shoot of the mythological thriller, Asur. While both shows were intense, the actor admits that playing a naïve romantic woman was tougher than playing a forensic officer. So, how did she straddle the two contrasting worlds? Over to Dogra as she talks about romance, roles and more.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

Badtameez Dil revolves around modern-day love. What is your take on it?
I don't think love is modern or old, it's a universal emotion and is always relevant. Love is not so much about the things we do, but it's about the values that we carry into a relationship. Be it GenZ or millennials or boomers, the key to love is to have the right set of values - integrity, loyalty, trust, friendship and respect. I don't think swiping left and right [on dating apps] is love. But at the end of the day, everybody is looking for it. We have all become thick-skinned, independent and strong, but I guarantee you everybody is looking for a pair of eyes to connect with.

Would you make a fool of yourself in love?
Why not? Now, I've become a little too careful. But [earlier], I've made a fool of myself in love. I've seen only what I wanted to see. I see the good in people. I was just reading something that Oprah [Winfrey] said: When someone shows you the first time how good they are, why do you not believe them? Why do you have to see it 29 times to believe them? I give people - whether it is friends, colleagues or romantic [partners] - a lot of chances. I keep looking for the good in people.

Asur and Badtameez Dil were shot at different times. Was their back-to-back release a coincidence?
We started shooting Asur a little before Badtameez Dil, and then there was a bit of an overlap. Barun [Sobti] and I have known each other for a few years. When we went to shoot Badtameez Dil, it was as if a portal had opened up - we were laughing and improvising. When we went back to Asur's shoot later, we would crack up. But since we are both professional, we could [slip into the roles] in a few minutes. We shot both series in 2021, but a lot of work was held back due to the pandemic. It was a bonus for Asur; the team got time to edit it, and by the time it dropped online, AI became a relevant subject.

Which show was more creatively satisfying?
Oh, come on! I am an actor, I can never say this was better than that. I've always played strong, opinionated women who stand up for something. [During my television years], channels used to take us to tier 2 and 3 towns where I used to meet a lot of women and homemakers. Early on, I had decided that even if I do less work, I want to play characters that stand for something. That is the way I thought when I did Maryada, Asur, or even A Married Woman.

If both show were creatively satisfying, which one was more challenging?
Badtameez Dil had a completely different lens. I have been around for a while, but I have never had a whole show seen through the lens of love. For me, this was more challenging. I have gone out of my way to make Liz [character's name] look like she had body-image and self-worth issues. These were not said in dialogue, but reflected through the character. I wanted her to look uncomfortable [with herself], but a third person seeing her will find nothing wrong with her. If I am ever to do a rom-com again, I will do it only if I am able to break some norms with it. We have seen enough stories of women going from ugly duckling to a swan, and as soon as she became beautiful, she got the hero. But I didn't want to do that.