Surbhi Das, known for ‘Nima Denzongpa’, is transitioning from TV to digital and cinema, finding creative fulfillment beyond monotonous roles. She felt her talent was underutilized in television, citing exhausting shoots and lack of personal life. Now, she’s excited about her role in the grand ‘Ramayana’ project, praising co-stars Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi’s dedication.
Surbhi Das, who first gained attention with her role in ‘Nima Denzongpa’, has been steadily carving a new path for herself beyond television. After appearing in ‘Pandya Store’, she chose to explore opportunities in digital platforms and cinema, including projects like ‘Carnaame’ and the much-anticipated ‘Ramayana’.Talking about this shift, Das shared with Mid-Day, “When you are transitioning from TV to web, it’s a bit tough. People tend to know you by your character names. Once casting directors find out that you’ve been part of a television show, they often hesitate to audition you further. There’s still a typical mindset about TV actors. I feel fortunate that Nima did not become a household name.”
Why did Surbhi Das step away from TV
Surbhi revealed that her decision to move away from television wasn’t sudden but stemmed from creative dissatisfaction.
While working on ‘Pandya Store’, she began to feel her potential wasn’t being fully explored.Das shared, “While doing Pandya Store, I eventually made the decision that I didn’t want to do TV anymore because I felt my talent was being wasted. I felt my craft wasn’t being used enough, as I was just there giving reactions that meant nothing to me. It became very monotonous after a point, so I decided I will quit TV. I’m not looking down on TV, but I feel it follows the same pattern.”
The actress also opened up about the physically exhausting nature of TV shoots, which often left little room for personal well-being.Recalling a difficult phase, she said, “When I was working in TV, during one of my shows, I fell so sick that I had to be rushed to a doctor. The production guy even told the doctor to give me an injection so that I could get back to shooting as soon as possible. I was literally sleeping for just 2–3 hours, often on set, usually in the makeup room.
I feel that once you’re doing TV, you hardly have any personal life.”
Surbhi Das on stepping into ‘Ramayana’
Now, Surbhi is part of ‘Ramayana’, where she plays Sita’s sister and Shatrughan’s wife. Interestingly, she initially had no idea about the scale of the project during her audition.Das recalled, “At that time, I couldn’t understand that this project was worth crores. But gradually, I did, and I am excited. I have seen all the people’s reactions and their feedback as well.
I am sure the makers are working on it.”
Surbhi Das on working with Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi
Sharing her experience on set, Surbhi spoke highly of her co-stars and the atmosphere during filming. She was especially struck by Ranbir Kapoor’s transformation into Lord Rama.“When Ranbir Kapoor came on set, he obviously came as Rama. I literally felt like, ‘My God, this guy is actually looking like Rama.’ In all the scenes we did together, I always felt that he was in character.
And even for Sai Pallavi, we know she doesn’t apply much makeup, yet she was looking so pretty.”Das further added, “To play Lord Rama, you need to have that aura and grace. When you walk on set, you need to have that energy about you that makes people look at you no matter what. And Ranbir Kapoor carried that. He had this energy and aura about him. Even when we were not doing a scene, he was in his character, as he is an introverted guy.”Talking about her bond with Sai Pallavi, she shared, “Our bonding was really good, as we play sisters. I asked her about the South industry, and she answered very sweetly. And when the last day came, she almost got emotional.”
‘Ramayana’ teaser
‘Ramayana’ is envisioned as a grand cinematic adaptation of the Indian epic. The film teaser mostly focuses on Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram. It carries the tagline, “Our hero, Our protector.” The visuals promise a large-scale narrative that looks theatre-worthy.
The teaser was unveiled with the caption, “Rama is the greatest of all time because he lived a life where the choices he made were always in the benefit of the greater good, duty over desire, and sacrifice over self.The film is planned as a two-part saga. It aims to present the epic on a global scale with a historic music collaboration between AR Rahman and Hans Zimmer. The film boasts a stellar and much-talked-about cast: Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram, Sai Pallavi as Sita, Yash as Ravana, and Ravi Dubey as Laxman.
