Exclusive – Rati Pandey opens up about being bullied by a director on the sets; says ‘He would demean me in front of the entire unit’

Rati Pandey, who has delivered some path-breaking performances and has given Indian television some memorable characters like Hitler Didi, Nupur from Miley Jab Hum Tum, recently opened up about an incident when she was bullied on the sets by a director. The actress spoke about the incident for the first time exclusively in an interview with ETimes TV.She shared how the incident affected her and she started doubting herself after being criticised a lot.

Narrating the incident, Rati shared, “I would not like to name the show. So I did a mythological show. Actually, I did one mytho and one historical show. What happened was when you are doing a mythological show for a long time, you start living that role. I had started to speak in pure Hindi in my day to day life also. I couldn’t switch off from the character. All of a sudden I got offered a socio drama and I didn’t get time to prepare at all. I’d started shooting in a week and I couldn’t stop myself from speaking shuddh Hindi. The director of the show wanted another actor for the role but he couldn’t get her. He was like his favourite actress should join the show and not me. But as I was channel and production house’s favourite and also they knew I would be able to pull off the role. This is the first time I’m talking about it and this happened to me recently I guess two or three years ago. To demean and insult me, he would yell at me on the mic in front of the entire unit.”Rati, who is loved as Nupur from Miley Jab Hum Tum recalled how she started to doubt her capabilities as an actor and had sleepless nights, “The moment I would utter a dialogue, he would interrupt me and say “Ye jam nahi raha”. He never used to let me speak or perform. The director is your captain of the show and if he is behaving this way when you have given so much time to the industry. I started to doubt myself as an actress and my potential. I used to go home and just keep thinking about it. I started to have sleepless nights. “Main kya acting Bhul gayi hoon, kya Mujhe acting nahi aati”, I started to ask myself. He was doing this to break me, but I didn’t give up. I never retaliated to him and diplomatically handled him for a month. I started to work on myself. Finally one day I had to put my foot down. Mera close laga hua tha and I was totally into the character as it was an emotional scene. The moment he said “cut”. I got up and kept the script aside and told him, I’m not doing the show. You can get your actor. On the spot I called up my producer, thanked him for the opportunity and conveyed to him whatever was happening,” she revealed.
However, Rati thanks the incident and all the people who criticised her as it has helped her personal growth, “Later on I was told that he does this to most of the actors to make them unlearn things. Unke andar ka Rati Pandey should die and the character should come out. It was his pattern. The producer understood the problem. I’d seen on that set even the well known actors would be scared of the director. It was not a jail, we are actors and there should be a comfortable atmosphere. In a way I was thankful that this incident happened and it was a learning experience for me. I realised that you should unlearn every time you do a character. Whatever criticism happened it was for my personal growth,” she concluded.