There’s something about people who haven’t read your script, seen your show, or checked your bank balance —
but will 100% offer career advice at weddings and kitty parties:
“Nivedita, you did that project?”
“You were at the top of your game!”
“Why them? You could’ve gotten something BIGGER!”
And every time, I want to say:
“Yes, I was also offered a lead role opposite Ryan Gosling but I was busy that day.”
Let’s get real.
Could I have gotten a better banner?
Sure.
Could I have waited for a bigger OTT?
Maybe.
Could I have gotten a unicorn that makes chai and writes screenplays?
Now that I’d like.
But here’s what people don’t see:
Sometimes, the project picks you.
Sometimes, your bank account picks the project.
And sometimes, the script is bad, the shoot is worse — but the experience? Iconic.
I’ve done shows with five-camera setups and zero logic.
I’ve shot with stars who forgot their lines and their clothes.
I’ve been offered roles like “creative consultant” that basically meant “please fix this mess in two days with no credit.”
And yet… I did it.
Why?
Because I like a little chaos with my career. Keeps things spicy.
People forget — I never came into this industry for the red carpets.
I came in for the stories. For the 2 a.m. edits, the wild ideas, the shoot schedules that change more than my daughter’s mood before tuition.
I’m not chasing fancy titles. I’m chasing impact.
And if that means sometimes working with the underdog production house while someone in Versova whispers, “Could’ve gotten better”…
then good. Let them whisper.
At least I got something done.
And when it wasn’t working — I pivoted.
What’s Your Callingg wasn’t a plan. It was a punchline that turned into a platform.
Because when life didn’t hand me “the perfect gig,” I handed myself a new one.
So to the lovely, well-meaning folks who say:
“But you could’ve gotten something more glamorous…”
I say:
“True. But glam doesn’t pay the GST, darling.”
Now excuse me while I build my empire — one unexpected project and sarcastic blog post at a time
