Aaditi Pohankar has won widespread acclaim for her compelling performance in the Bobby Deol-led thriller series Ek Badnaam Aashram. However, her journey to success has been anything but easy, marked by numerous rejections along the way. One such setback came when she auditioned for Dangal but didn’t make the final cut. Yet, in hindsight, that experience turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
During an interview, Aaditi opened up about the disappointment of not being cast in Aamir Khan’s Dangal. While the rejection stung at the time, she now sees it as an invaluable learning experience. “I learned the Haryanvi accent, understood the mindset of wrestlers, and gained valuable insights. The role I got in Aashram was entirely different—more than just a wrestler—but that prior learning proved essential and really helped me. I am so happy that it found an application because now it’s not left within me as an unfulfilled desire,” she shared.
Reflecting on her experience working on Prakash Jha’s crime thriller, Aaditi described it as an intense journey, likening it to shooting four films at once. With scenes requiring her to wrestle, undergo rigorous training, and deliver emotionally charged performances simultaneously, the role pushed her limits as both an athlete and an actor. She credits the experience for transforming her approach to physically and emotionally demanding roles.
Ek Badnaam Aashram, a gripping crime drama web series, first premiered in 2020, with its latest season releasing on Amazon MX Player on February 27.
