Failure is only a stumbling block on the way to success, believes Shalini Pandey, who, after Jayeshbhai Jordaar (2022), was roped in for Aamir Khan’s son Junaid Khan’s maiden project, Maharaj. The actor informs that she will soon be seen in Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming show, Bandwale. While she is not allowed to reveal much about the project, she states that it is “one that is extremely close to my heart”. “I think, out of everything that I’ve done in my life till now, I’ve garnered the most learning and had the most fun on the sets of Bandwale. I discovered what kind of actor I am on this journey.”

Directed by Akshat Verma of Kaalakaandi (2018) fame, Pandey claims Bandwale resembles a part of her life. “It’s also the journey of a girl who wants to follow her dreams against her father’s wishes. There were so many parts of the character that [resonated] with my life. Of course, my story was a little more dramatic than that, but I could relate to the character,” she explains, adding that with Verma at the helm of things, the process was much easier. She credits the director for helping her understand her character better, but he still let her interpret and present it in her own way. “He is the kind of director who lets you be, which worked in my favour. He didn’t overdirect me. He would give me instructions, but let me [interpret them my way]. To be in sync with your director is a great deal for me. There were times where if a certain scene didn’t sit well with me, we would change it according to what I was feeling. There was mutual respect. We had a great time making the project,” says the actor.