Acting is my passion and producing is my profession, says Ritika Anand

Ritika Anand will be making her debut as producer and actress in the web-series JL50 (2020), which also stars Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapur, Piyush Mishra and Rajesh Sharma. The show, directed by Shailendra Vyas, will be streamed on SonyLIV.

Speaking about her dual role, Ritika said in an official statement, “Acting is my passion and producing is my profession. I’ve always ever known how to produce and act in a film simultaneously, as I originally turned producer to create opportunities for myself as an actor. Now I know no other way.” 

She added that it’s a win-win situation for her. “I’m grateful that producing content not only gives me an opportunity to champion a good idea and bring it into reality, but also frees my passion for acting from the burdens of making a living out of it. Because producing movies puts food on my table, it allows me to not have to ever settle for acting jobs that I may not want, or am not comfortable with.”

Talking about her dual role on the project, she added, “Apart from having to gather funds for the next day’s shoot in between my scenes as an actor on JL50, all of my other experiences as an actor on JL50 have been humbling to say the least.” 

The story of JL50 takes place in the 1980s and revolves around the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)'s investigation into a plane crash, which brings forth some startling revelations. 

Speaking about her experience as an actress, Ritika added, “I’m grateful for [getting] an opportunity to share screen space with actors of the calibre and repute of Abhay Deol, Pankaj Kapur and Piyush Mishra - all of whom have inspired me as an actor at some point or the other.”  

Ritika plays Bihu Ghosh in JL50. “I was asked by the director to gain considerable weight for the role as I was playing a Bengali woman from 1982. I also experimented with my look with a bob cut wig in alignment with the fashion of the 1980s,” she said.

“The character itself is one of intrigue and the circumstances faced by the character places Bihu Ghosh in a sort of grey zone, where for the longest time, the audience isn’t sure if she is a positive or a negative character,” she added.