Actress Piloo Vidyarthi considers herself fortunate to mark her mainstream debut with the film ‘Akelli’. The movie features Nushrratt Bharuccha in the lead and is a gripping thriller, where she gets trapped in conflict-ridden Iraq, fighting to break free. Piloo portrays Nushrratt’s mother in this impactful thriller, grounded in a true incident. Piloo cherished her role, relishing every moment on the set of ‘Akelli’.

“I play Nushrratt’s mother, who is a simple Punjabi woman, living alone with her daughter and granddaughter. She had no clue that her daughter Jyoti had taken up a job in Iraq. When she finds out she is helpless and clueless about what to do next. However, she gathers courage and goes up to the ministry to plead for her daughter. I love the role,” said the actress and former RJ.

The seasoned actress also shared her delightful experience filming alongside Nushrratt. Calling her a “very good actor”, Piloo expressed her gratitude for collaborating with actors who share similar energies. “Nushrratt is also a warm person so you don’t have to make an effort to connect and then get into a mother-daughter acting mode,” she said.

The trailer of ‘Akelli’ directed by Pranay Meshram will send shivers down the spine. Piloo can’t stop praising the makers of ‘Akelli’ for bringing such a subject to limelight. “I am grateful to God and the universe that I am making my debut in mainstream cinema through a film like ‘Akelli’. A real subject like this will be part of history. I have loved every day of my shoot in Akelli,” she said.

Piloo made headlines a few months back when her former husband of 24 years, actor Ashish Vidyarthi, remarried after their divorce. In her composed demeanour, Piloo said she isn’t certain whether her former husband will watch ‘Akelli’, but she’s confident he will share in her joy as her debut film approaches its release.

“I choose to live and celebrate the life that is gifted by this universe. We can make the word survival empowering or disempowering. I choose the former… Ashish and I have been facing a hurricane of views and opinions, judgments and verdicts by the world that probably is somewhere making peace with their own survival through our journey, our choice to live with dignity as two amazing human beings who walked a beautiful path together and then took off for their new paths. Maybe, Ashish will see the film or not see the film, because he is not a film buff but I know he is happy with my first film release and he knows I am happy with his new found life. In this typical societal context…both Ashish and Piloo are not Akella or Akelli,” she said.

So, ask her about mental health and she readily responded. “At the end of the day when I sleep, I know I am alone. I am responsible. I have received a lot of love. Of course, I am surrounded by people. But they have their lives, their own journeys. They will come and be there for some time. I want to be someone who can be reached out to, who is available when people need me. So, I am disciplined even in my wildest moods. And my vulnerability, my surrender to god, music, writings, and my honesty nurture my mental health,” said the actress.

For those unaware, Piloo happens to be the daughter of the renowned Bengali actress Shankuntala Barua. After completing her graduation in economics at Kolkata’s Jadavpur University, she realised that academia wasn’t her path and began seeking employment opportunities. Piloo’s journey led her through various roles in hotels, advertising firms, until she found her place in radio. She identifies herself as a singer-actress and her passion for singing has been a constant presence in her life.

Although Piloo’s film debut comes a bit later in her career, she is currently inundated with attractive and promising offers in the industry. There’s ‘Woh Ladki Hai Kahaan’ with Taapsee Pannu and Pratik Gandhi, and an interesting film, titled ‘The Wedding Story’. No, wait, there’s more. The singer-actress has her kitty full with projects from Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions. Piloo will be seen in Vaani Kapoor’s OTT debut series, ‘Mandala Murders’, which is a Yash Raj Films production and in Dharma Productions’ film ‘Sarzameen’. She also shot for Nikhil Advani’s film ‘Vedaa’, which also stars John Abraham. Given music is her first love she is also part of a musical play, titled ‘Roshe Roshe’ by Purva Naresh. “Apart from films, I am extremely happy to start off with my music with a bang. A few interesting songs are coming up in the next few months and I am really looking forward to sharing myself with the world through my craft,” she smiled.