Naina Sareen on Raakh, Pritam & Pedro and Choosing Characters Over Fame
Fresh off two contrasting OTT performances, actor Naina Sareen speaks about leaving behind a corporate career, why meaningful roles matter more than lead roles, and the long journey of becoming an actor who values characters over celebrity.
For most actors, the dream is to land the lead role. For Naina Sareen, that dream has evolved into something else. Today, she measures success not by the number of scenes she gets, but by whether the audience carries her character home.
The actor, who recently impressed audiences with two vastly different performances in the OTT series ‘Raakh’ and ‘Pritam and Pedro’, says she has reached a stage where impact matters far more than screen time.
“Honestly, right now, screen time doesn’t matter to me. When you first come to Mumbai, you are constantly chasing that lead role. But today, I don’t care about how many dialogues I have. What matters is whether my character leaves an impact.”
She recalls that when the audition for Deena in ‘Raakh’ came her way, the role was brief. “It was just two scenes. She hardly speaks until the end. But the emotional journey of that character was so powerful that I knew I wanted to do it.”
That approach has shaped every decision she has made so far. “I choose characters based on the journey they are going to have,” she says. “The character, Sherlyn in ‘Pritam and Pedro’ is completely opposite. She’s optimistic, compassionate and full of warmth. Those are the kind of contrasts that excite me.”
It is perhaps an outlook shaped by her years at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Before cinema, Naina had what many would consider a secure life. Armed with a postgraduate degree, she worked in a well-paying IT job in Bengaluru. Yet something never felt complete.
“I always knew I wanted to perform in some form, but I didn’t know whether it would be dance, music or acting. I wrote the FTII entrance exam when I was 24, without telling anyone. I didn’t get in the first time.”
Instead of giving up, she spent another year preparing while continuing her corporate job. The following year, she secured admission.
“My journey through film school made me realise this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” she says.
Her family, she says, never stood in her way. “My mother had no doubts. My father kept saying I could always go back to my IT job if this didn’t work out.” She laughs before adding, “A decade later, they've realised that’s never going to happen.”
Like many actors today, Naina has witnessed how OTT platforms briefly shifted attention from stars to characters. She hopes that trend isn't lost.
“There was a time after the pandemic when people spoke only about characters. We have gone back a little to visibility and celebrity. But whenever audiences meet me, they rarely remember my face first. They remember Ashok Lata or Gargi or another character I have played. That makes me very happy.”
The actor admits that disagreements over a character’s emotional journey do happen, but she believes preparation and collaboration usually resolve them.
“If I feel a character would react differently, I discuss it with the director. Most directors I have worked with have been open to trying different approaches. Acting is collaborative.”
Having worked across independent films and commercial productions, she has experienced both worlds closely. Independent cinema, she says, often feels like a labour of love.
“Everybody pitches in. I have done my own costumes, brought props from home and watched entire teams work together because they simply wanted to make that film happen.”
Ask her what she wants audiences to remember after watching her perform and the answer comes without hesitation. “The character. Absolutely the character.”
That commitment even spilled over into real life once. After the series, ‘Tribhuvan Mishra CA Topper’ released, she changed her social media display name to her character, Ashok Lata Mishra, for an entire month.
“I thought if someone was searching for the character, they should find her.” Away from the camera, Naina has quietly begun writing as well. She is developing a mini-series inspired by her own life experiences, something she hopes will one day make it to the screen.
“I want to act for as long as I live. But seeing something I have written come alive would be a dream fulfilled.”
For an actor who walked away from certainty in search of meaning, it is perhaps the most fitting ambition. The destination has never been fame. It has always been the story.
