Born and brought up in the city of Nawabs, Lucknow, Namita Dubey finished her schooling from ”La Martiniere Girls’ College” and then pursued her graduation in English Literature from ‘Lady Shri Ram College’, in Delhi. Despite having such impressive academic records, Namita Dubey chose acting as her career. She also holds a Master’s degree in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Starting her career from T.V. serial Ye Hai Aashiqui, she today has established a firm position in the television industry as an actress.
Q) Despite having such good academic background, how did you land up into acting?
A) Acting was sub consciously the career I always wanted to pursue. It was never an active choice, till the time I was on the verge of finishing my formal education. I decided not to sit for college placements and instead work with a small NGO, which could also give me enough time to browse auditions and sense the feel of the industry. I decided to go about my choice practically, till in 2014 I plunged headlong into the acting profession to give it my undivided attention. After a reasonably successful year, I gave formal acting a learning chance. I did my method actor training course at the Jeff Goldberg Institute in Mumbai while simultaneously working in TVCs and Television.
At the end of three years in this industry, I can safely say that acting never “happens”, it’s a professional decision but yes talent, conviction and opportunities play a major hand.
Q) Tell us about the ups and downs you faced in your career.
A) My career has so far been steady with some good opportunities and projects. Its been a mix of everything, from smaller assignments to big ones. My show “Bade Bhaiya ki Dulhania” was one of the highlights that really gave me a daily platform to perform for the audience. There haven’t been any “downs” and I’d like to believe that there are only lean phases in an actor’s career graph when work doesn’t pour in abundance. But yes, I also firmly assert that we can build our own opportunities by auditioning relentlessly and constantly working on our craft. When I am not shooting, I try to work on myself and engage my mind with activities that can rebuild and hone my skills. From watching good cinema to practising monologues or just plain observations of life, it all contributes immensely.
Q) Had you ever dreamt of becoming an actor earlier?
A) Yes! Like I mentioned, I always subconsciously wanted to become an actor and when I gauged that acting is a profession and can be pursued as a career, I gave it my full shot.
Q) Which is your favourite show among the ones you did and why?
A) The only daily fiction show that I have done is “ Bade Bhaiya ki Dulhania” and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The show was not run of the mill type. It was an honest and different take on dynamics between family members and how one girl brings about some positive changes in their lives with her simple yet profound theories. I have also immensely enjoyed doing advertising commercials, specially my Tata Salt Plus as we shot it extensively in Malaysia-on an actual metro site. It was a unique experience.
Q) What it takes to be a successful actor?
A) A positive mind, a determined approach and earnestness towards the craft. Also, success is subjective milestone. An actor’s talent lies in the choices. What he chooses to do with his/her talent can shape up the success story in a huge way.
Q) Tell us about your interests other than acting?
A) I am an avid reader, reading is my indulgence in free time. I write too. I have around eight journals currently. I try and write everyday things which I feel and need to express in words. I watch a lot of shows on Netflix, I just finished watching “Black Mirror.”
Also read “Taneesha Shah Talks about her telly life as a successful child actor”
Q)What would you advise to aspiring actors.
A) Every actor has his own journey and trajectory. No success here can have a parameter, everyone has his own aims and milestones. What’s important is to have a clear goal and be persistent in its pursuit. Things are not easy here and it’s important to remain determined despite obstacles which are inevitable. Actors just need to focus on their craft and the rest of the things will fall into place on its own.