Was Depressed and Thought My Career was Over, Says Asha Negi on Long Acting Hiatus

Asha Negi made an impressive acting comeback with romance drama series Baarish last year. The actress, who became a household name with her popular show Pavitra Rishta, was on a long break from acting, owing to lack of good parts.

In this interaction, Asha got candid about her long hiatus and how it shook her confidence for the longest time.

"I was really upset and demotivated. In fact, I was kind of depressed because nothing was working and I was like, 'Oh my god, is my career over?' Especially when you have people around you who are doing well in their careers, somewhere down the line it pinches you. I won't say that it happens out of jealousy or insecurity but you ask yourself--what's wrong with me?”

She says that it was an extremely difficult phase for her, but she has come out of it stronger than ever.

"I think I'm grateful for that time, too, as they say, 'More than your success, you failure teaches you.' That's when you evolve, not just as an actor but as a person also. So, I'm glad that it happened because I feel I'm a better human being now and a better actor, too," she said.

Baarish, also starring Sharman Joshi, has returned with its new season. In the second season, things will go sour between Asha's Gauravi and Sharman's Anuj as differences start to creep in.

She said, "The first season focused more on how Gauravi and Anuj's love story began. This season is about how things fall apart between them after they get married. So, that's why there's more emotional drama."

When asked about her experience working with Sharman, she said, "I was very nervous before the shoot. I was paired opposite Sharman Joshi who is such a brilliant actor. But that excitement of facing the camera and acting after such a long time gave me a lot of strength.”

Asha also said that working on an OTT platform has been "liberating" for her.

"You get that creative satisfaction which you normally don't find on television, although I'm very grateful and thankful for what TV has given me. Having said that, web does give you liberty. If there's a concept or a story which requires intimacy, you can do that; you can also use language which you cannot really use on TV. So, it's a treat for an actor to do a web show."

Baarish season 2 is currently streaming on Zee5.