Vedika Pinto has been steadily carving a space for herself in the Hindi entertainment industry. From making an impression as the animated bride in Ritviz’s 2019 music video ‘Liggi’ to appearing in films such as ‘Operation Romeo’, Gumraah and the Nishaanchi franchise, the actor has taken on varied roles while continuing to audition for new opportunities. Her latest outing is ‘Musafir Cafe’, where she plays Sudha Tripathi. In a recent interview, Vedika Pinto opened up about Ranveer Singh following her on Instagram, revealing that she believes the actor started following her around the time of her ‘Liggi’ music video.
Vedika Pinto on endless auditions in Mumbai
In an interview with Free Press Journal, Vedika Pinto looked back at the early years of her acting journey and recalled how she spent several years auditioning for projects while attending acting workshops in Mumbai.The actor said auditions have always been something she genuinely enjoys, even when they meant repeatedly putting herself through the uncertainty of the casting process.“After college, I started auditioning, and looking at all acting workshops I could find in Mumbai. I love giving auditions, it’s one of my favourite activities. If I was told of a project, I would go for them. From 2017 to 2020, I did endless such auditions,” she said.Her journey eventually took her from music videos to feature films, before she landed the role of Sudha in ‘Musafir Cafe’
Vedika Pinto explains the meaning behind her name
Vedika also opened up about the meaning of her name and the family story behind it. She explained that the name carries spiritual associations while also reflecting the cultural backgrounds of her parents.“Yes, I do. One meaning is ‘Altar of worship’ and in Vedas it is considered to mean the ‘Divine feminine’. It is a gift from my naani, as my last name was Pinto, so woh milan to karna hi tha, to get in elements from both religions. My dad is of Goan Portuguese heritage and my mom is a Punjabi from Kolkata. We all go to church at Christmas and when we go to Shirdi or Vaishnodevi, dad also comes. We all visit both the church and the temple,” she said.
Vedika Pinto on Ranveer Singh following her on Instagram
Vedika Pinto also reflected on Ranveer Singh following her on Instagram, revealing that she believes the actor started following her around the time of her appearance in the ‘Liggi’ music video. Despite having met him, she said the thought of asking him about the follow has never crossed her mind, laughing as she recalled the unexpected connection.“I think that is from around Liggi time. Though I have met him, the thought that I should ask him about it never even crossed my mind,” she said with a broad smile, according to the afore mentioned publication.
Why ‘Musafir Cafe’s ending was changed from the book
Vedika also addressed one of the major differences between Musafir Café and the book on which the series is based. She explained that the original novel was written in 2016 and that the show’s narrative has been adapted to reflect changing perspectives, including what she described as a stronger female gaze in the writing.“The novel was written in 2016, and generally the narrative has also changed in the last 10 years. I think that our writer, Sharanya, also wanted to give a female gaze to the characters,” she said.Vedika pointed out that the book’s ending takes Sudha’s story in a very different direction. “At the end of the book, Sudha actually comes back with Chander’s 8 year-end child, so I also think that Chander was a bit of a red flag in the book,” she said.According to Vedika, the decision to change the ending appears to have been made during the writing process, although she did not identify who specifically took the call. She suggested that the show’s version of Sudha would not have been consistent with the original ending.“I don’t know who made this executive decision, but I think they must have done it in the writer’s room. The way we portrayed Sudha, it would not make sense for her to have a child, because then she will be going against everything that she stood for,” she said.The actor acknowledged that the show’s ending has not found unanimous approval among viewers but believes audiences should be free to interpret the characters and their choices.“People are not completely in agreement with the way we ended the series, but I guess at the end of the day we play characters for people to interpret,” she added.
Vedika Pinto reveals what’s next
When asked whether she has signed projects apart from the second season of ‘Musafir Cafe’, Vedika said there is nothing concrete to announce yet. However, she revealed that several exciting opportunities are currently being discussed.“Well, I haven’t signed anything concrete yet, but there are very exciting things on the table and I don’t want to jinx them by mentioning them now!” she said.Vedika also recalled something she would often tell her parents about what would make her feel that she had established a place for herself in the industry.“I am proud to state that I would always tell my parents, ‘I will feel I have a place in the industry as soon as I have scripts to read!’ The bachpan wali Vedika is very happy now because every day there is a new story, and I have to decide which one is right for me,” she said.
Vedika Pinto’s ‘Musafir Cafe’ cast and crew
Directed by Ruchir Arun, ‘Musafir Cafe’ is created and written by Sharanya Rajgopal and draws inspiration from characters in Divya Prakash Dubey’s book. Vikrant Massey, Vedika Pinto and Mahima Makwana headline the series, with Adil Hussain, Rajeev Siddhartha, Anubha Fatehpuria, Loveleen Mishra and Sadia Siddiqui in supporting roles. Vedika plays Sudha Tripathi, whose journey and choices form a key part of the series.???
