Triptii Dimri interview: ‘I find the comedy genre tough to pull off’

Today, her star power seems to have skyrocketed, with the actor, who was paid Rs 40 lakh for Animal, having doubled her fee — according to reports, she now commands Rs 80 lakh to Rs 1 crore per film; the rising star is not afraid to know her worth and demand it. And if her latest film, Anand Tiwari’s comedy-drama Bad Newz, which releases in theatres on July 19, is an indication, she has no qualms about doing more ‘bold’ scenes. Songs like Tauba Tauba and Jaanam from the film, which also stars Vicky Kaushal and Ammy Virk, have already gone viral. In Jaanam, she is seen sharing steamy poolside moments with Vicky Kaushal. Triptii, who has been in the news for acquiring a bungalow in Mumbai’s upmarket Bandra West area for Rs 14 crore after foraying into films only seven years ago, is turning up the heat, raising the stakes, and living it up.

The shy star, who was in Delhi recently to promote Bad Newz, says that while she has enjoyed drama, comedy was a challenge. “Personally, I find it tough. As Vicky and Ammy are naturally good actors, the benchmark was high. Working with them was a learning experience for me. I would like to do more comedy, action and dance-oriented movies which help me understand other genres,” she says, adding, “Vicky is a fabulous dancer. He can learn complicated steps smoothly. He can make a small reel, release it on Instagram, and a song becomes a hit, like he did for Virk’s Memories. This is despite the fact that his own film was releasing.”

The actor adds that she let Vicky Kaushal take the spotlight. In Bad Newz — about a condition called heteropaternal superfecundation — she plays a pregnant woman with two fathers, Virk and Kaushal. Do women actresses have the choice to say ‘no’ to uncomfortable roles when they are starting out? It is a debate worth having. 

A Star is Born

The treatment of women stars in Bollywood itself is a topic of ongoing debate. Like the fashion industry, objectification seems inevitable. Women are often paid less, and pressured into intimate scenes to attract attention. After all, it is a male-dominated industry, where brawn is rewarded and providence plays a huge role in achieving stardom.

Young actresses who have no godfathers or don’t belong to generational film families with a famous surname find it harder to break into the top league as the competition is back-breaking. The good part is that it’s the audience that decides who succeeds. The question is: Should young stars navigate the big, bad world of Bollywood through beauty or brains? I’m guessing it has to be a fervent combination of both, with luck playing a contributory role.

Triptii, who was born in Garhwal (Uttarakhand) and studied at the non-descript Sri Aurobindo College (Delhi University) — that too evening course — and then joined the Film and Television Institute, Pune, knew the glamour world was beckoning her. Having begun her journey as an actor with a small role in Sridevi’s Mom (2017), she has made it in the industry with some unwanted controversy. However, her first few films, including Shreyas Talpade’s directorial debut, Poster Boys (2017), the official remake of the Marathi Poshter Boyz, didn’t rock the box office.

The actor proved her mettle in Sajid Ali’s directorial debut, Laila Majnu (2018), a modern reimagining of the classic drama, set in modern-day Kashmir. In her breakout role opposite Avinash Tiwary, Triptii plays the iconic character of Laila with delicate vulnerability — oscillating between joy, despair, love, and rage — which makes her a perfect match for Tiwary’s equally compelling performance as the lovesick Majnu. Triptii says she felt ‘disheartened’ when Laila Majnu didn’t do well at the box office. She was telling herself before the release, ‘I won’t be able to go grocery shopping so freely after this,’ only to be disappointed. “When it came on OTT, it was a hit. I got so many congratulatory messages that it was a great film,” she says.

Coming Into Her Own

It was her subsequent two films, Bulbbul (2020) and Qala (2022) — both directed by Anvita Dutt — that garnered eyeballs for Triptii, but success still eluded her. Qala did, however, receive rave reviews. “After this, the audience watched Bulbbul and Laila Majnu to see my previous work. As an actor, I felt a sense of achievement,” she says. 

Set against the backdrop of the 1880s Bengal presidency, Bulbbul is a horror film that tells the story of a child-bride who grows into a mysterious woman. Triptii portrays the naivety and vulnerability of the child bride beautifully, capturing the confusion and fear of a child thrust into a world she doesn’t understand. As she grows up, she faces abuse and injustice, but also develops a quiet strength. There is a rape scene in the film that must have been very hard for her to execute.

Triptii has realised the universe has its own ways. In Qala, the haunting and atmospheric Netflix film, Triptii won praise for essaying the titular character — a gifted singer grappling with the weight of ambition, a troubled past, and a complex relationship with her mother — with élan. Her chemistry with co-star Swastika Mukherjee, who plays her overbearing mother, and Babil Khan (her brother in the film) is electrifying. Their scenes together crackle with tension and unspoken resentment, revealing the deep-seated wounds that have shaped Qala’s fragile psyche. While Qala’s descent into madness is a central theme of the film, Triptii never allows the character to become a caricature. Instead, she infuses Qala with a quiet dignity and a flicker of hope that keeps the audience invested in her fate.

During the shoot of Bad Newz, when all three of them — Triptii, Kaushal and Virk — tired after a full-day schedule, they would relax by listening to Punjabi music for six-seven hours: “I never understood the language. I used to ask for sub-titles, but having spent so much time together, I now get the gist of the lyrics,” she says. Being a self-confessed foodie, Triptii has enjoyed from pakoras to momos and even parathas with her two co-stars who admit that “her metabolism is unbeatable”.

“Being raised in Delhi, I fondly remember the Metro rides and the cool breeze on rainy days. Moolchand was the favourite stopover for the parathas you get even at midnight. I was filled with nostalgia when I came back here; all three of us enjoyed a stuffing of our choice,” she recollects. “We used to work out religiously, and then eat to our heart’s content. I was never stressed on the sets as the entire atmosphere was lighthearted and we would just have laughing marathons every day,” she says, adding with a smile that the secret to true success might just be ‘sound sleep.’

Triptii has a string of exciting projects in the pipeline. With Vidya Balan and Kartik Aryan, there is Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video with Rajkummar Rao and Dhadak 2 — a remake of the Tamil film Pariyerum Perumal — with Siddhant Chaturvedi. Triptii has arrived and she is here to stay, and, if the role demands it, ever ready to turn up the temperature.