Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

How Rithvik Dhanjani is making his voice heard

How Rithvik Dhanjani is making his voice heard

The versatile TV star reveals his career ambitions and why he needed different acting skills to do an audio series

TOP talent Rithvik Dhanjani has blazed a trail of fire on television with terrific turns as an actor, host, and reality show participant.


The multi-talented star has clocked up an impressive body of work and has branched off into the web series space with big projects like gripping 2021 show Cartel, which has received rave reviews.

Recently, the versatile actor added another feather to his cap by playing a lead role in audio series Buri Nazar. The drama has got great acclaim, and with a strong fan base and more major projects on the way, the popular performer is looking forward to pushing himself into new spaces with more challenges.

Eastern Eye caught up with Rithvik to discuss his action-packed journey, the success of Cartel, new audio series, future hopes, and lockdown life lessons.

How do you look back on your action-packed career?

It’s been a very joyous and adventurous ride. From my first show Pyaar Ki Ek Kahani up until my latest one Buri Nazar and so many more to come, it’s been a journey that has been nothing less than a blessing.

You have had many highlights, but which has been the most memorable?

The most memorable highlight of my career has to be Pavitra Rishta, because it truly gave me a platform in terms of my standing as an actor, anchor and who I am. So, I think definitely the time I spent with Pavitra Rishta was the most amazing and is closest to my heart.

Rithvik Dhanjani G 3184

What was the experience of working in your recent web series Cartel like?

Oh my god, working on Cartel has honestly been a dream for a very long time – to do something like this, where I am not myself and completely shed who I am, completely get into the skin of a character who is totally different to what I am. The way my character looks, walks, talks and everything else is completely poles apart from who I am, so it was exciting to play the character. I got such positive reviews, and it has been an honour to be part of it.

How much do the positive reviews mean to you?

In fact, just yesterday I was driving, and a policeman stopped me mid-way in traffic. I had no idea why he was doing that and thought I did something wrong. When he stopped me, I opened my window and said, ‘Sorry sir, did I do something wrong?’ And he’s like, ‘I only stopped you to tell you Cartel and you in it are fantastic.’ I was so overwhelmed that I can’t tell you what it was like. It was such a warm thing that he did, stopped me in the middle of the road to just tell me that he liked my work. So yes, Cartel is a huge blessing for me.

What led towards your latest audio project Buri Nazar?

Of course, the artists who I was collaborating with, Sayani Gupta and Supriya Pathak-ji. It’s definitely them. The script was amazing, plus the idea of being in a room and act with your voice – narrating the story, emotions, and everything through just your voice in that four-by-four room. I think that was honestly challenging, yet very

exciting and very fulfilling. All of us at the same time felt, ‘wow’. I felt I have really been missing out on this. So that is what made me take up Buri Nazar.

So what was it like to just use your voice to act?

The experience of just using my voice has been phenomenal. You are bound there with so many limitations because you can’t move or interact with another person. All that you have is your voice to completely tell the entire story – where you are, what you feel and everything through just dialogues. It’s a beautiful feeling for an actor to

lend their voice. I think it is so much more difficult because you don’t have the help an actor usually has, with no camera, lights, stage, people, nothing. Just you and your voice. It’s exciting, yet very challenging.

Did you learn anything new while doing this project?

Something new that I learned was, I am capable of doing so much more with myself. I wasn’t sure if I could pull this off – could I perform and emote just using my voice? I wasn’t confident, but now I think I can. It was revolutionary for me. It has been amazing to just be able to do that with my voice.

What can we expect next from you?

Some amazing, kick-ass stuff that I’ve been working on. Of course I can’t talk much about it, but there are some great shows lined up that are going to be so amazing. I can’t wait to share it with the world, especially my fans.

What is the biggest life lesson lockdown has taught you?

The biggest lockdown lesson I learned is that you have got to be content with what you have, no matter who you are. No matter how big or small, everyone is the same at the core and have the same human emotions. Everyone craves love, family, and attention. It is very important for you to be close to your loved ones. Give love and show you love them because they are the ones who will stand by you in times when no one else will. It is very important for us to be kinder, more loving, and more vocal about how we feel about our friends, family and those we truly love. We have to be vocal and tell them we care, and that we are there for them. That’s what the lockdown has taught me.

Rithvik Dhanjani 9062307894864 n

You have done a wide array of projects including hosting, acting, reality TV and now an audio series. Is there something new you want to attempt?

I would love to attempt something brand new. I love doing things I have never done before. I have been thrown into situations and places where I am out of my comfort zone, so yes, I absolutely would love to do something new. I don’t have something specific in mind in terms of what I want to do but yeah, if something new comes up, bring it on. If there is anybody who thinks there is something challenging out there for me, I would love to do that.

Do you have a dream role?

Very honestly, I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan because I love detective dramas. If ever there was to be a Sherlock made in India, I would love to do it and would give my life to that character. It’s how much I love being a detective. So, this is something I would really like.

Finally, what inspires you?

What inspires me is life. Being able to live every day inspires me. Being able to wake up every day and see the sun rise inspires me. These things really inspire me and make me happy.

More For You

Jasbinder Bilan

Jasbinder Bilan

Jasbinder Bilan’s journey of heart and heritage: From Himalayan tales to global acclaim

When Jasbinder Bilan first paused her teaching career to pursue a creative writing degree, she had no idea it would lead to a life-changing breakthrough. What began as a leap of faith became a journey filled with hope, rejection and ultimately triumph. Inspired by her beloved grandmother and her Indian roots, Bilan poured her soul into her debut manuscript Song of the Mountain. Though the publishing world was not immediately ready for her story, perseverance paid off when she won the 2016 Times Chicken House Prize, launching her celebrated writing career. Now, following the success of her Costa Award-winning Asha and the Spirit Bird, Bilan returns with a powerful new historical adventure, Naeli and the Secret Song. In this exclusive interview, she speaks about the emotional inspiration behind the book, her love for young readers and the importance of believing in your voice — no matter how long it takes to be heard.

What first connected you to writing?
It was stories more than writing that were my first love. My grandmother, Majee, was the storyteller in our house and it was those bonding moments that sparked my love for creating my own stories. She told me lots of Indian folk tales at bedtime, but she also shared stories of our life in India on the farm near the foothills of the Himalaya. So, I grew up feeling connected to a place that I then filled with my imagination. As a little girl I loved drawing and writing, and always wanted to be a writer, but it took me a long time to make that dream come true.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rachel Zegler’s ‘Evita’ Performance Sparks Broadway Buzz

Rachel Zegler stuns in Jamie Lloyd’s Evita as Palladium crowds grow nightly

Instagram/officialevita

Rachel Zegler shines in Jamie Lloyd’s ‘Evita’ as West End hit eyes Broadway transfer

Quick highlights:

 
     
  • Rachel Zegler plays Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s radical Evita revival at the London Palladium.
  •  
  • A viral moment features Zegler singing live from the theatre’s balcony to crowds on the street.
  •  
  • Lloyd’s stripped-down staging amps up visuals and sound but sacrifices storytelling depth.
  •  
  • Talks are on for a Broadway transfer as early as 2026 with Zegler confirmed to reprise her role.
  •  
 

Rachel Zegler commands the London stage as Eva Perón in Jamie Lloyd’s daring reimagining of Evita, a production that trades subtlety for spectacle and could soon be heading to Broadway.

Following the success of Sunset Boulevard, Lloyd’s signature stripped-down style meets rock concert intensity in this revived version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical. Zegler, in only her second major stage role, dazzles with commanding vocals and presence, even as critics debate the show’s dramatic clarity.

Keep ReadingShow less
K Anis Ahmed

K Anis Ahmed’s new novel Carnivore is as imaginative as it is provocative

AMG

K Anis Ahmed’s 'Carnivore' serves up satire, class war and moral rot

From the blood-soaked backstreets of Dhaka to the polished kitchens of Manhattan’s elite, K Anis Ahmed’s new novel Carnivore is as imaginative as it is provocative. A satirical thriller steeped in class tension, culinary obsession and primal survival, Carnivore follows Kash, a Bangladeshi immigrant-turned-chef who launches a high-end restaurant serving exotic meats – only to become embroiled in a sinister world of appetite and ambition.

But this is no simple tale of knives and recipes. Ahmed – a seasoned journalist, publisher, and president of PEN Bangladesh – brings a sharp eye to the grotesqueries of power and privilege. In this exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, he speaks about his passion for food, the moral murkiness of his characters, and why even the most ordinary people can spiral into extraordinary darkness.

Keep ReadingShow less
Artists respond to a world shaped
by division at Summer Exhibition

Visitors view works in the main gallery

Artists respond to a world shaped by division at Summer Exhibition

THE theme of the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition 2025 is “dialogues”, prompting the question: can art help bring together the people of India and Pakistan? Or, indeed, Israel and Iran – or Israel and Palestine?

It so happens that the coordinator of this year’s Summer Exhibition is the internationally celebrated artist and Royal Academician Farshid Moussavi, who is of Iranian origin.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kanpur 1857 play

This summer, Niall Moorjani returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with 'Kanpur: 1857'

Pleasance

Niall Moorjani brings colonial history to life with powerful new play 'Kanpur: 1857'

This summer, Niall Moorjani returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with Kanpur: 1857, an explosive new play that fuses biting satire, history and heartfelt storytelling. Written, co-directed and performed by Moorjani, alongside fellow actor and collaborator Jonathan Oldfield, the show dives into the bloody uprising against British colonial rule in 1857 India, focusing on the brutal events in Kanpur.

At its centre is an Indian rebel, played by Moorjani, strapped to a cannon and forced to recount a version of events under the watchful eye of a British officer.

Keep ReadingShow less