Interview: The Diplomat actor Vidhatri Bandi on struggles, reveals John Abraham is a big 'prankster' on set

Meet actress Vidhatri Bandi, who portrayed a naive journalist in Amazon Prime's Jalsa, delivering a standout performance alongside renowned talents like Vidya Balan and Shefali Shah. Following a brief hiatus, she has recently taken on the role of an embassy officer opposite John Abraham in The Diplomat.

In an exclusive interview with WION, Bandi shared insights about her experience working with Abraham, her struggle as an actor, and the one actress she loved working with the most.

Read the edited excerpts of our conversation:

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WION: In the movie, you play the role of an embassy officer. What was it like portraying a diplomat?

Vidhatri: It felt pretty great to play a character I hadn’t before. As I played a naive Malayali journalist in Jalsa, I got to play an intimidating embassy officer in this one, which gave me an opportunity to explore a different vibe and also helped me showcase my versatility as an actor. I am extremely grateful for that.

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WION: How was your experience shooting with John Abraham? Could you share any interesting incidents from the set?

Vidhatri: It was great! My biggest takeaway from this film would be that I got to witness what discipline and consistency look like and I got to see that up and close watching John work on set and be in his element. His professionalism and dedication towards his work and craft are extremely inspiring and as surprising as it may sound, he’s a big prankster on set. It’s only because of him it wouldn’t feel like work on some days and I’d give that credit to him only.

WION: I Iast saw you in Jalsa. If I’m not mistaken, you took a break from acting after that.. What was the reason for your hiatus?

Vidhatri: The last 2 years have been a hard struggle as an actor for sure, I was constantly getting short-listed or almost locked for several projects, but they didn’t work out or the projects would get shelved. I feel 2024 was a year that put us all through a lot of turmoil and it was hard not just for actors, but even writers, directors and technicians. I only hope that this year brings us all a lot of work, but overall, it has been a great learning experience to navigate through these lost times. I guess it only makes you stronger.

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WION: You have worked with actors such as Vidya Balan, Shefali Shah, and John Abraham. If you had to pick, who was the best to work with and why?

Vidhatri:I could never ever pick between any of them, but if I have to, I’d pick Shefali ma’am only because as much as I was privileged to be in the same film as her, I unfortunately didn’t get to perform or do a scene with her, so hopefully someday I get to do that too. fingers crossed.

WION: What kind of roles excite you the most? Is there a dream role you'd love to play?

Vidhatri: I’m deeply deeply inspired by legends like Savitri Garu and Sridevi ma’am, and it would be a dream to have a career trajectory like theirs. I’d say not just for me, but for any actress. But yeah, my dream role would be playing a classical dancer in a movie, so lowkey manifesting that.

WION: Many actors talk about the challenges of sustaining a career in the industry. What has been the biggest challenge for you so far?

Vidhatri: To get considered for pivotal/lead parts, but I am also certain that with time and with more work and projects that will change as long as I keep showing up, so at this point I’m only focusing on keeping my head down and delivering the work that’s expected from me.

WION: With OTT platforms gaining popularity, do you prefer working in films or web series?

Vidhatri: To be honest, as my journey started with films I’ll always lean a little more towards films as that’s always been the dream, but yes, I would definitely not mind exploring web series if given an opportunity.