I’ve reassured Nikhil that he’ll come out of this stronger: Tridha Choudhury

She was recently in the news for her link-up rumours with actress-MP Nusrat Jahan’s estranged husband, Nikhil Jain. We caught up with Tridha Choudhury, who is currently in Kolkata, to find out what her social media exchanges with Nikhil actually mean. Excerpts from an interview where the model-turned-actress also talks about her experience in Tollywood and Bollywood, passion for travelling and more:
The buzz around your alleged relationship with Nikhil Jain is getting stronger by the day.We heard that you both have been hanging out together a lot of late.
The strong buzz in the industry should not be about my dating life, but about the accolades I’ve won for my acting. However, if it’s the former, then I must disappoint everyone who is reading this. Hanging out with a person does not necessarily imply that they are dating. Meaningful conversations over coffee can denote a healthy friendship too.
So, you do admit that you often hang out with Nikhil?
I just met him once over coffee – that’s it!
You have mentioned that Nikhil was your senior in school. Have you both stayed in touch throughout or did this friendship develop after his separation from Nusrat Jahan?
Our friendship didn’t bloom out of his separation, we knew each other from before. He was the deputy head boy of our school and one of the most sought-after guys. He would moderate several events for the school as a member of the interact club and my interaction with NJ was mostly related to that.
Were you invited to Nusrat and Nikhil’s wedding?
No.
As a friend, how are you helping Nikhil cope with his separation?
I’ve been practicing mindfulness for a while now and at times I tend to get a bit preachy about the art of living a healthy life through a happy mind (laughs). My social media highlights the fact that I love to motivate my audience and friends when the curve hits the trough. Nikhil has been impacted by the ongoing unforeseen events in his life and I have simply reached out to reassure him that he will come out of this as a stronger person. The last two years have had a detrimental effect on all of us. It’s good to lend an ear to your loved ones and be supportive of each other.
You both have been connected on social media for a long time. Then why have Nikhil’s comments on your posts gone up suddenly?
Social media is a space for everyone to communicate through comments and the like button. I don’t see why an additional heart emoji on my posts from Nikhil should raise eyebrows. At this rate, I could be linked to multiple people who shower me with compliments or hearts on my social media accounts.
Earlier, you were linked up with Srijit Mukherji while shooting for Mishawr Rawhoshyo. Then rumour mills were abuzz with the news of you dating Harshad Arora, your co-actor in Dahleez. How do you deal with such link-up rumours?
I don’t recall any such situation where I have been linked to the director who gave me my first break in Bengali cinema. My memories from the sets of Mishawr Rawhoshyo are all about the constant excitement of learning new things related to acting and cinema because I didn’t even know how to face the camera back then. Srijitda is a wonderful person to work with and he has taught me to never extinguish the creativity and confidence within me. As for Harshad, he and I had an incredible on-screen chemistry and working together for almost nine months at a stretch made us compatible as friends. However, I wouldn’t agree that we were dating.
In your last interview with CT, you had told us: “There is a special person in my life, and he stays in the US…”
Yes, I was dating someone in the US. The distance and the pandemic made us take a mutual decision befitting our current lifestyle and career choices. He has been extremely encouraging of me as an actor and wants to see me feature in the best of Indian cinema. We are still on great terms as each other’s well-wishers.
Coming back to work, do you feel you could have done much better in Tollywood?
Work has been extremely kind to me so far. It has brought me immense love and appreciation since 2017. I could have done much more if I was offered good films in Tollywood. But I do look forward to being a part of Tollywood on a bigger canvas than ever in the near future. It is always lovely to work in Kolkata.
We heard you will be working with Jeet on one of his future projects. What else do you have in your kitty?
Oh yes! My last cameo in a Bangla film was with Jeetda in Shesh Theke Shuru. So, a sequel or something ought to be in the pipeline. Jeetda has an evergreen persona and in my next feature film, I want to be cast opposite him. My upcoming project, Abhijaan, is something that the audience is eagerly waiting for as it is a tribute to a stalwart like Soumitra Chatterjee. I will be seen in a retro avatar, enacting scenes from Apur Sansar with Jisshu U Sengupta, who plays Apu in the film. I’ve signed another bilingual film with a renowned actor from the Telugu film industry.

How was it working with director Parambrata Chatterjee in Abhijaan? It is said that the character you are playing in the film is based on Sharmila Tagore’s life.
I’ve always adored Paramda as an actor and wanted to work with him. When I got the opportunity to be directed by him, I was beyond elated. I loved working with him and I hope that I have lived up to his expectations as I play Sharmila Tagore in the film. Playing a persona as graceful and poised as Sharmila Tagore took weeks of understanding her gait and demeanour.
After Dahleez, you haven’t acted in any Hindi serials. Was it a conscious decision to avoid TV shows?
Dahleez gave me a lot of love and motivation to continue my acting career. The serial was one of its kind. It was filmed beautifully in Delhi and the premise of the show was very relatable unlike most other Hindi shows. After that I did not like the plot of the shows offered to me and OTT platforms were on the rise for good shows, so I took the opportunity to divert my time there instead. Now I am mostly focusing on films and web series.
How difficult is it for a newcomer like you to survive in Bollywood?
Very few people understand Bollywood. For me, it has been about being persistent and patient. Saying no to many projects is an equally important decision that needs to be made for surviving in the industry. I hope to keep making better decisions so that I get to work on meaningful projects.

You are a self-confessed travel enthusiast. Are there any travel plans for the near future?
Travelling is an integral part of my life as it exposes me to a variety of people and cultures that offer valuable lessons. I just got back from a spring break in New York and Miami. A trip to the mountains is in the works and I’m looking forward to the adventure.
Did you recently get all of these three tattoos?
Yes. I never considered the idea of getting inked, but the three new tattoos are very dear to me and mark very important milestones in my life. On my right forearm, I have three little birds perched on the tree of life, representing my nuclear family that includes my parents and me. I want this to guide me every time I falter. On my right ankle area, I have a del symbol (inverted triangle) that signifies feminine energy. Within it, I’ve got mountains, trees and a star-studded sky. It is a constant flow that energises me to travel anywhere I want to. On my left forearm, I have a delta-v (velocity) by delta-t (time) that is equal to acceleration. I’ve been a science student all my life, so this signifies my love for that and shall remind me to keep accelerating through the hurdles of life.
What have been your biggest pandemic lessons?
The pandemic has taught me to be a more resilient, punctual and productive person. For me, it was like a study leave granted to work more on myself and on my skills as an actor.