Saumya Tandon’s year unfolded like a lesson in timing—one that showed her how disappointment can sometimes be protection in disguise. A project she was fully locked into fell apart just days before shooting, leaving her questioning the industry’s unpredictability and her own journey. What initially felt like bad luck later revealed itself as redirection.Stepping away from constant work invited speculation and judgment, but it also brought clarity. Leaving a popular show led to assumptions and unsolicited opinions, but it also gave her the space to slow down and reflect.Currently overwhelmed by the positive audience response to her role as Ulfat in Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar, Saumya speaks candidly to ETimes about what she learned this year, how slowing down helped her confront suppressed emotions, reassess her priorities, and find peace in knowing exactly what she does—and doesn’t—want.
Was there a moment this year when you became aware of a deeper emotional pattern in yourself—something like a fear, a trigger, or a belief—that you hadn’t noticed before? What did it reveal to you?
“This year was actually a very beautiful year for me because I saw the highs and lows together. This year I was supposed to shoot for a project on an OTT platform for which I was locked two months ago. The script was shared with me, the signing amount was given to me, the clothes were made for me, and rehearsals also happened. And just a week before shooting, they changed the entire cast, the director, and the writer of the show. And I was very disappointed. I just thought to myself, why would any platform do something so silly as to choose somebody—not just me but the entire cast—after auditioning and being very sure of them, and even the director and the writer?”“And then they changed everything just a week before. How unsure and silly can that be? And then I just thought to myself, maybe this is bad luck, a bad year for me. And then suddenly Dhurandhar happened, and another film that I’m doing happened. And Dhurandhar just became the best film to start again with after my deliberate break that I had taken because I wanted to transition. And I thought to myself, God knew best. I had to be with people who knew what they were trying to do. I don’t think that show would have been the right place or a good place for me to work because, in a show or an environment where the makers don’t know what they want in their lives, it’s not a place for me to start or come back with something again. And I just know now that sometimes setbacks—this was not my failure—are good for you in the larger perspective. So this year, it was that setback which, in hindsight, I feel was the best thing that happened.”
When everything around you felt loud—work pressure, public opinion, personal expectations—what did you discover about your own emotional limits and how you recover or reset from them?
“There were a lot of projects coming my way after Bhabhiji that I was not convinced about. I just thought I wouldn’t want to do this kind of work or that kind of work because I’d already worked in the industry for 15, 16, or rather 17 years. I worked for different reasons earlier, but now I was very clear that I wanted to work in a certain kind of environment, with projects and people I wanted to work with. And that made people question me a lot. They asked why I left a show that was high-paying and successful, why I chose to be at home. There were many opinions—some said it was because I became a mother, some said it was a personal problem, others said I didn’t get any work.”
This year, did you notice any old wounds or unresolved emotions resurfacing—and how did you work through them or make peace with them?
“I feel that sometimes when you are very busy in your life, there are a lot of unresolved issues or emotional baggage which you are not able to confront and deal with. So this little time that I got in between, where I was not shooting like a machine or working like a maniac—which is what was happening for many years that I’ve been in this industry—I got time with myself to actually face myself, with a lot of emotions which were suppressed and that I couldn’t deal with or didn’t have time to deal with. And the last year specifically actually went into dealing with it.”“And this year was kind of when I was coming to terms with where my life is transitioning, what is happening. And I feel that as an artist, or maybe as other people, you need a lot of this ‘me time’ to take care of your mental health or your unresolved issues. And I think this little break did wonders for me because it not only improved my clarity of thought, but it also helped me resolve many other emotional things which I think were pending to be addressed.”
When things didn’t go your way this year—professionally or personally—what inner belief helped you stay steady, and which belief did you realize you needed to let go of? What did it teach you about who you are and what the world expects you to be?
“I feel I know exactly what I want in my life. Whether I will reach there or not, I do not know. But clarity of thought is half the battle won. I’m very clear that I don’t want to work with toxic people. I’m very clear that I don’t want to work only for money. I’m very clear that I don’t want to work for instant fame. I want to improve myself as an actor. I want to learn. I consider myself a lifelong student. An artist is a lifelong student. I don’t really care about money and fame that much because I think that follows.” “All I want is to be the best version of myself, be in an environment which helps me flower, or at least makes me learn to become a better artist. I want to work with people who inspire me. I want to wake up every morning feeling excited to go to work. The day that stops happening is the day I realise this is not the right workplace for me. I’m listening to my inner voice so clearly these days that it doesn’t really matter where I reach or how fast I get there. I have the blinders, and I know exactly what I want. Therefore, I will say I’m in a very good space in life.” Go to Source
