Actress Ritika Shrotri started her acting journey at the mere age of six. She was first exposed to the craft when her parents encouraged her to participate in a play held locally. “Even as a six-year-old, I felt this is what I want to do more and more,” says the actress. Her organic love for acting helped her bag her first project as a child actor at the age of 10. Marathi television series ‘Guntata Hriday He’ with Mrinal Kulkarni was the first stepping stone that later led her on to films like ‘Slam Book’, ‘Lost And Found,’ ‘Boyz’, ‘Bucket List’, ‘Takatak, ‘Darling’ and ‘Meenakshi Sundaram’.Now, the actress is ready to create magic on-screen with her upcoming film ‘Sari’ featuring her, Ajinkya Raut, and Prithvi Amber in lead roles. This film also features Mrinal Kulkarni and Ritika will be reuniting with her after almost a decade. Talking about the film, Ritika says, “I have mostly done films that are generally light-hearted, comedy, love stories. But this film has a different edge to it. It will emotionally engage you and surprise you with twists and turns.”
Having begun her career very young, she never compromised on attaining educational qualifications. She always prioritised finishing her degrees on time. Ritika is currently pursuing her Master’s in English Literature and shares that she manages to balance work and studies. “There was a time when I used to go to college and took short breaks for my exams and assignments, it used to get a bit hectic for me. Now, for my Master’s, I decided to opt for a distance course and it surely helps. But, I still have to study,” laughs Ritika, who often carries her study material on her film sets. “I often carry my books and notes to my sets, especially around exams, and whenever I get a break, I read or study. Throughout my academics, I haven’t taken any coaching or tuition classes as self-study is what helps me. I study majorly right before the exams and it’s like reading my lines before my shot,” shares Ritika.
As much as she loves being in front of the camera, Ritika’s first love is theatre. She believes that performing on stage makes you more aware of your body as an actor than performing in front of the camera. “There are no angles on stage, you are wholly there and the audience is watching the whole of you, so you have to perform with all your body parts. A film is a director’s medium whereas theatre is an actor’s medium,” shares the Darling actress. When asked about the Marathi theatre scene, the actress explains, “Marathi plays are having a moment right now. I feel more than Marathi films, Marathi plays are getting more attention especially, experimental plays. Play competitions like Firodia Karandak bring forth some amazing plays that attract a large crowd. My current favourite is ‘Sahi Re Sahi’ by Bharat Jadhav. I had seen this play as a child and now watching it again in an experimental format was a treat.” Ritika is currently doing shows for her solo Hindi/English play called ‘The Light Catcher’ where she plays 11 characters.