After winning hearts with her moving performance as Soma's mother in Netflix's Ikka, actress Jyoti Mukerji is enjoying a well-deserved wave of appreciation. Following her emotional recollections of working with Sunny Deol, the actress has now opened up about another pillar of her comeback journey—director Siddharth P. Malhotra. From revealing how he convinced her to return to acting after a 16-year break to explaining the difference between television and OTT filmmaking, Jyoti shared how Ikka has reignited her passion for performing.
Speaking about Siddharth P. Malhotra's unwavering belief in her talent, Jyoti said the filmmaker's confidence in her has always been stronger than her own. "I have to say this about Siddharth: he has more confidence and faith in my abilities as an actor than I do in myself, and he's been that way forever. I've known him since 2004, when he was associated with Cinevista and I did a show for them. We met briefly back then, and later, in 2006, I stopped working because I had my daughter, Maisha; then my son was born in 2009, so I didn't work for 16 years. But when I decided to return to work after those 16 years and started to tell him—'You know, I was thinking...'—before I could even finish, he said, 'You must get back to acting.' He insisted, 'You are so talented, Jyoti; you shouldn't waste your talent. In fact, I'm doing Maharaj—why don't you do this for me?' And I was like, 'Okay, sure.' So yes, he has always been very encouraging and supportive. Both he and his wife are such lovely people to work with. As a producer, Sapna is phenomenal; she literally made the set feel like home. And as a director, Siddharth is incredibly easy-going. He knows exactly what he wants, yet he gives his actors the freedom to do whatever they feel is right. However, he already has a specific vision in mind, and until he gets it, he'll find a reason to do a retake—but he never makes the actor feel self-conscious or like the retake is happening because of them. He's amazing."
Having spent years working in television before making her comeback through films and OTT, Jyoti also reflected on how different the two mediums are. She explained that while the craft of acting remains unchanged, the working style is vastly different. "You know, the working environment is vastly different—specifically in terms of the patterns followed. Look, an actor remains an actor; their job is to perform. However, in TV, we face time constraints. We have to shoot 22 to 25 minutes of content in a single day—sometimes for the very next day's episode. We have to shoot the entire episode that is scheduled for broadcast. So, as an actor, you have to fine-tune yourself to the reality that you can't afford retakes. You must know your lines perfectly. You have to grasp the dynamics during a single rehearsal—understanding where another actor is moving from, where you need to stop, and what actions to take. You have to be incredibly focused because you have to deliver within those time constraints."
She further explained why she finds films and OTT projects creatively liberating. "In contrast, with web series and films, you have the freedom and flexibility to do retakes until you nail the precise emotion you're aiming for. That's the difference. Also, for web series and films, we receive the bound script beforehand. We can actually sit and mull over the character, thinking about the subtle nuances we want to add. In TV, you often have to do everything on the spot; we usually get the script only when we arrive on set. And it's not just about delivering a line or two—sometimes you have to deliver a two-page monologue in a single scene. So, I believe TV really fine-tunes an actor for films and OTT; it acts like a rigorous practice session. We are so accustomed to doing everything in a rush. When working on films and web projects, it feels incredibly chilled out—everything moves at a much more relaxed pace. It gives me the time to really deliver a great performance. So, while the two mediums function differently, as an actor, the core task remains the same in both."
With Ikka receiving a strong response from audiences, Jyoti is already looking ahead to the next phase of her career. The actress revealed that several exciting opportunities are currently in the pipeline. "I am currently in talks for a few films—keeping my fingers crossed that they all work out as I hope—including projects for Netflix and a theatrical release. I'm also in discussions for a show, which I'll let you know about very soon." After a remarkable comeback and widespread appreciation for her performance, fans now have plenty to look forward to as Jyoti Mukerji prepares for an exciting new chapter in her acting journey.