‘Sets become a second home’: Tumm Se Tumm Tak star Niharika Chouksey on emotional connections with co-actors

Niharika Chouksey (Instagram)

For actors working long television schedules, sets slowly start becoming a second home. Actor Niharika Chouksey, who is seen in Tumm Se Tumm Tak, says that emotional connection with co-actors plays a huge role, not just personally but professionally too. She believes spending time off the camera often translates into bonds that go beyond professional front.

Niharika Chouksey talks about her bond with co-star Sharad Kelkar on set

She said, "It is very important to have an emotional connection, and whether you want it or not, it just happens on set because we spend more time here than at home." Shooting every day and staying together all the time… we are human, so attachment just happens."

"On-screen chemistry only looks natural when you are truly comfortable in real life. Sharad sir and I are very comfortable with each other, and I think I spend the most time with him on set. When you are that comfortable, it naturally shows on screen," she added.

In fact many of her professional relationships have also turned into lasting friendships. She said, "Almost all my best friends are actors because somewhere along the way I lost touch with school and college friends. Most of my closest friends came into my life through different shows."

At the same time, she admits that learning how to maintain boundaries on set took time and experience. "Initially, I didn't understand professional and personal boundaries at all, but now I know my people. It's not necessary that you will like everyone or everyone will like you. You have to choose your people," she said, adding for her, personal space becomes especially important in an industry where people work under constant pressure and exhausting schedules.

Niharika also strongly believes that a healthy off-screen bond improves performances during emotionally demanding scenes. She said, "If your off-screen bond is strong, a comfort zone is created." Then the give-and-take between actors becomes very good because everyone supports each other in the scene."

Talking about her character graph

Talking about the kind of roles she enjoys playing, she shared that her current character Anu allows her to explore many emotional layers. She said, "With Anu, I get to play many shades because she stands up for the right thing; she is emotional and vulnerable, and there's also a romantic angle. There are different equations with every character around her."

However, she also hopes the character becomes stronger moving forward. She said, "I really want Anu to take more of a stand for herself when people try to belittle her."

When it comes to romantic scenes, Niharika says she approaches them entirely from her character's emotional perspective rather than her own. She said, "I just imagine that it's not Niharika; it's Annu who is in love. I think about how a person in love behaves, and that helps me perform those scenes."

Away from work, the actor admits she tends to trust people very easily, something she is still learning to balance. She said, "My biggest problem is that I trust people super easily. My friends and parents keep telling me that you can't trust everyone instantly. I'm slowly learning that with time and experience."

Despite her packed schedule, she says her friendships have survived because the people close to her understand the demands of the profession. "I'm not able to meet my friends as often, but there should be understanding between friends. My friends are very supportive because they are actors too, so they understand when I can't attend calls or meet often," Niharika ended.