Neither Stardom nor Failure Sways Triptii Dimri

Triptii Dimri has emerged as one of Hindi cinema’s most popular and versatile talents. She started out in modelling before transitioning into acting. She earned early critical acclaim for her nuanced performances but it was her role in the 2023 blockbuster Animal that brought her massive mainstream breakthrough and widespread commercial recognition.

Speaking of her sudden stardom after Animal, Triptii says it was very liberating. “Before that I was constantly trying to find films that show my range. After the film, there was definitely more access, more conversations, more trust from the industry.”

With success came the freedom to choose. “I can now wait for material that genuinely excites me instead of saying ‘Yes’ out of fear or the need for survival. That changes your relationship with your career completely. Honestly, it was overwhelming in the beginning, because my life before that was very quiet and solely work-oriented. After Animal, I had to consciously separate perception from reality.”

Ask her how she stays grounded, and she says, “The only way is by continuing to focus on the work itself, because fame can be very unstable if you depend emotionally on it. It also helps that you don’t belong to this world. Your family has this way of grounding you with real conversations about everything except the movies.”

Her recent O’Romeo, in which she played an author-backed role, was projected as a blockbuster but turned out to be a box-office underperformer. “I don’t see it as a failure at all,” says Triptii. “Commercial failure is one sort of failure and you obviously hope that your film works with people and finds love. I think every actor secretly hopes that if you give everything emotionally to a role, the audience will automatically connect with it. But cinema doesn’t always work that way. This film taught me so much. I got the opportunity to work with a maverick like Vishal Bhardwaj. I worked with Shahid Kapoor who is such a sharp actor. Sometimes timing matters, sometimes expectations matter, sometimes a film finds its audience later. What O Romeo taught me is that you cannot attach your self-worth to the result of a project. You have to learn how to deeply commit and then let go.”

She is humbled by her fan following. “The fact that I have fans is surreal to me even now, and I try to handle it with the kindness I expect when I met my heroes. I understand they are full of affection.”