In Musafir Cafe, Vedika Pinto plays Sudha, a divorce lawyer who chooses her career over love. Based on Divya Prakash Dubey’s novel of the same name, the series has sparked debate over Sudha’s choices, with viewers split between admiration and criticism. But the polarising character has also won the actress a growing fanbase. Vedika shares she has barely had time to take in what the show has done for her.‘I feel like I inherently understand Sudha’When asked how she’ll take Sudha into Season 2, Vedika says she can’t say for sure, as shooting for the new season hasn’t begun. “I’m both nervous and excited to see how I find my way back to Sudha. Of course, there was a lot of work involved in building the character the first time around, from understanding where she came from to discovering the little personality traits and circumstantial nuances that made her who she is. But I also feel like I inherently understand her, and in some ways, she has become a part of me.” She adds,“I’m hoping that makes it easier to tap into her, but I think it’s a question I’ll be better equipped to answer once I’m actually back on set and have had the chance to step into her shoes again.”
Vedika Pinto
‘I’m still just going through the motions!’ Vedika played a lead role in Anurag Kashyap’s Nishaanchi, but it was Musafir Cafe that made her a household name. “Honestly, the pace of my life has picked up so dramatically since the release of Musafir Cafe that I feel like I’m still just going through the motions! I don’t think I’ve had the chance to zoom out and really process or analyse all the changes yet. I’m overwhelmed, grateful, motivated and excited, all at once. So many doors are opening, and dreams that I’ve held on to for so long are beginning to feel like they’re finally being actualised. It’s an incredible feeling, and I’m just so ready to embrace everything that comes my way,” she says.Drawing your curtains and seeing the mountains right in front of you was extraordinaryMusafir Cafe was largely filmed in Mussoorie and Bhopal and is full of shots of the mountains. On shooting in the hills, Vedika says, “There’s something quite extraordinary about waking up in the morning, drawing your curtains and seeing the mountains right in front of you. You feel so small in the grand scheme of things, and yet, strangely, so invincible at the same time. It’s incredibly humbling and grounding, and I absolutely loved that experience.” The location also made the work harder. “Of course, shooting in the hills comes with its challenges. It can get freezing, sometimes you have to trek to reach your locations, and early-morning shoots can be quite demanding. But when you’re actually there, immersed in the world you’re creating, you don’t really think about any of that.”‘I started out wanting to work exclusively in films’Vedika has worked across films and streaming, and it was OTT that made her a familiar face. She shares,“As an actor, what draws me in the most is the story. Everything else is secondary. Although, I won’t lie, I started out wanting to work exclusively in films. You grow up watching movies on the big screen, and that’s where the dream of becoming an actor really begins.” The dream has not faded, even as the series opens other doors. “It’s quite surreal that Musafir Cafe has brought me so much of the recognition I’d hoped for and opened up so many new avenues for me. I still dream of doing films, but I don’t think the platform itself matters as much as the story being told.”
Vedika Pinto
Ultimately, I’m excited to explore different formats and see where the stories take me
