Vedika Pinto is firmly in the spotlight following her acclaimed performance as Sudha in the popular Netflix series ‘Musafir Café’, which also stars Vikrant Massey and Mahima Makwana. Her authentic portrayal of the unapologetic, spirited and independent yet deeply flawed character has earned her widespread praise, while Sudha’s choices have also sparked debate among viewers.In an interview with t2ONLINE, Vedika opened up about the overwhelming response to ‘Musafir Café’, Sudha being labelled a “red flag”, the career doors the series has opened for her and what she hopes to explore with the character in Season 2.
Vedika Pinto on the overwhelming response to ‘Musafir Café’
Vedika admitted that the response to ‘Musafir Café’ has been far bigger than she anticipated, particularly when it comes to the amount of attention the series has generated.“It has been crazy! I have been loving the kind of response it has been generating, but I never accounted for the lack of time that would come with that. Now I have realised that if I am to achieve all that I want to, then time is not going to be that readily available. But it is a good problem to have… I am not complaining!” she told t2ONLINE.
Musafir Cafe’s Sudha gets praise and criticism
Sudha has emerged as one of the most talked-about characters in Musafir Cafe. While many viewers have praised her for choosing her career and personal growth over a relationship that offered her little room to evolve, others have labelled her selfish or even called her a “red flag”.Vedika said she and writer Sharanya Rajgopal had anticipated that Sudha could be misunderstood, particularly because of the way women’s choices are often viewed.“While we were shooting, Sharanya (Rajgopal), the writer of Musafir Cafe, and I — who are both women who would like to believe that we should be entitled to do what we feel is best for us — did have conversations about how Sudha would be looked at because, unfortunately, most people around us don’t perceive women in the way they should,” she said.“For some viewers, the easy way out has been to misunderstand Sudha… call her selfish, call her a villain. That is something that we had predicted. What we hadn’t predicted was her being called a red flag.”However, the actor pointed out that the criticism has been accompanied by an equally strong emotional response from viewers who understood Sudha’s decisions.“But for everyone who has said that, there have been thousands of others who have praised Sudha. I have received so many letters from women addressed to Sudha who understand her and relate to the decision she made. She is relatable to the women who are transitioning from what is expected of them to what they want for themselves. To be able to give women viewers that kind of reassurance via a character is extremely gratifying for me,” Vedika told the publication.
Vedika Pinto says Sudha was never created to please everyone
Vedika also reflected on the pressure actors can feel to ensure that their characters are liked by audiences. She said playing Sudha taught her to separate the audience’s response to a character from her own identity as an actor.“We all have this desire to please the people around us. It took me a long time to accept that reality and try to get away from it. Even in my first few years in the industry, circumstances pushed me towards that, but I finally came to terms with the fact that one can’t please everyone,” she said.“As far as my characters are concerned, especially when it comes to someone like Sudha, the desire is for Vedika the actor to be liked because that will translate into me getting more roles. But it is not necessary for everyone to like Sudha. For me, every character is an opportunity to challenge myself, surprise the audience, work on my craft…. I have never been dissuaded from playing a character just because it may have the potential to be seen in a negative way.”She added, “I like the fact that our writers are being allowed to write flawed characters, and to present women in a way that doesn’t fit into the so-called perfect checklist. Sudha is deeply flawed and yet somehow she has managed to be so loved. Here is a character who is just being who she is, and she is being loved for it!”
How different is Sudha from Vedika Pinto?
While Vedika said she does not consider Sudha completely alien to her, she admitted that she would find it difficult to make some of the pragmatic decisions that come naturally to her character.“I wouldn’t say any part of her is alien to me, but I would struggle to do what came so easily to her. My parents have always taught me that I need to put myself first, but not at the cost of hurting anybody else. But I tend to overthink a lot. I think: ‘If I go ahead with this, it will work for me but will this other person get affected?’” she said.Comparing herself with Sudha, Vedika explained, “Sudha is heartbroken when she leaves Chander (Vikrant Massey), but she manages to hold it together because she knew her decision was the right one for the two of them. But as Vedika, I don’t think I would be able to take such a pragmatic decision given my emotions.”From love and relationships to modern dating, letting go and second chances, Musafir Cafe has sparked conversations among viewers. Vedika said she found it particularly interesting to see the audience having discussions that the team had already explored while developing the series.“What has happened is really cool because now when I read the conversations and narratives around the show, it reminds me of the days when we were in acting workshops or even during shoot, and as a team, we all actually had the same conversations!” she told the afore mentioned publication.“It now seems like we were the focus group for these conversations, but those that the audience, of course, has taken much further.”
Vedika Pinto on what she wants from Sudha in ‘Musafir Café’ Season 2
With Season 2 of ‘Musafir Café’ greenlit, Vedika is interested in exploring what happened to Sudha after her separation from Chander and how the passage of time has shaped her.“I have no qualms about how Sudha has been portrayed in Season 1. She may not be everybody’s cup of tea, a lot of people may not agree with her, but she is authentic with her fair share of quirks and irks and she doesn’t hide them. I would like to see more of her being the authentic person she always has been,” she said.“Of course, circumstances tend to change you as a person, and even if they don’t change you, they at least mould you. I am excited to see more of how her journey has been after she and Chander parted ways, and what makes her who she is. Eight years have gone by, and I am curious to see what her journey has been like.”
About ‘Musafir Café’
‘Musafir Café’, adapted from Divya Prakash Dubey’s widely acclaimed Hindi bestseller, is a Netflix series directed by Ruchir Arun starring Vikrant Massey, Vedika Pinto, Mahima Makwana, Adil Hussain and Sadiya Siddiqui. It premiered on July 24.