Exclusive - Parineeta Borthakur on stepping into Chandrika’s shoes in Vasudha: ‘I didn’t think the love would be like this’

Ten months after joining Vasudha as the fierce matriarch Chandrika Singh Chauhan, Parineeta Borthakur says the response has left her “overwhelmed.” The show has been the No. 1 Hindi GEC for the last 4 weeks straight, and Parineeta credits much of that momentum to the shift in energy after her entry.Before that, Vasudha held the No. 2 spot for 3 weeks. When Parineeta joined the show, its TRP was 1.4. Later, it rose to 2.0, and achieving that during the IPL season made the milestone even more special.But stepping into a role originally played by Nausheen Ali Sardar wasn’t without its challenges. The actor talks about replacing the original actor, dealing with initial backlash, and the dos and don’ts of taking over a pivotal role.Opening up about her initial days, Parineeta admitted that not everyone was ready to welcome the change.“When I came on board, not everyone reacted nicely to the news,” she said. “People who hadn’t seen my work were a bit reluctant. Obviously everyone has fans, and those fans aren’t going to be happy right away.”She added that those familiar with her previous roles in Swaragini, Bepannah, Spy Bahu and other shows were more supportive from the start. “But that was only at the start. Now people are giving a lot of love—way more love than I ever expected. I definitely didn’t think it would be like this at the time.”This marks Parineeta’s first time replacing another actor on a show. The transition, she says, taught her a lot about handling both the character and the audience’s expectations.“Yes, it is my first replacement ever,” she said. “I don’t know if I want to replace anybody again. It wasn’t even—I don’t know if ‘replace’ sounds a bit bad. I mean, she mutually left, and they couldn’t obviously end the character. They had to continue the character. It’s one of the leads of the show.”For actors walking into an established role, Parineeta has simple advice: study the character, but don’t let early negativity get to you.“So I think the do’s and don’ts I would say are: do study the character—understand why people love the character. And don’t take the negativity initially. Prove yourself. I think that’s very important.”She credited her approach to balancing Chandrika’s strength with her motherly side for helping her win over viewers. “Initially I followed the mannerisms but after that I just approached the role as I always would, from the start,” she shared earlier.With Vasudha continuing its strong run at No. 1, Parineeta says she’s just grateful the audience has embraced her version of Chandrika. “The love from the audience, it’s just indescribable. I’m beyond grateful.”Vasudha stars Priya Thakur and Abhishek Sharma.