This Is Why Balika Vadhu's Anandi AKA Avika Gor Quit Acting

It’s been a year since Avika Gor quit her hit TV show, stopped acting in regional films and stepped out of the limelight. However, the Balika Vadhu actor says the hiatus was “a planned move”, and maintains that she has kept busy. “There has been a lot going on besides the short films I have been a part of, including the one that is going to the Cannes Film Festival. I took the break to understand what I want to do in life. I wanted to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. I have been acting since I was eight and have played various roles. Usually, kids think about careers when they are 12 or older, but my career was already set as an actor. I needed time to gather myself and understand if this is what I want to do or if there was something else out there that I want to try.”

During her break, Avika says she did a screenplay writing course and now wants to learn to direct, as she wants to pursue a career behind the camera as well. Avika is of the opinion that being successful at a young age “doesn’t make her special”, but she wants to find out what will. “As an actor, people will enjoy my performances for a few more years, but then what? That is every actor’s concern, and even more so for me, as the audiences have seen the best and worst of me already. I want to increase my knowledge in other departments of film-making, as I want to be a part of the industry in other capacities as well,” she says.

Last year, Avika and actor Manish Raisinghan took their short film Ankahi Baatein to Cannes, and this year, they are all set to fly to the French Riviera with another short film, I, me, myself. Avika has written the story and acted in the film, while Manish handled the direction and editing. Speaking about the film, an excited Avika says, “It’s a huge deal to be invited to the festival. Getting your film screened there is important, as it gives us exposure. We don’t want to just act in films, we also want to make them. Last year, we sold the film in few French territories, and this year, from India, only 20 short films were selected of the 450 films that were submitted.”