Pratibha Ranta’s cool-girl guide to not losing your mind

At 24, Pratibha Ranta has already won an IIFA, worked with Kiran Rao and Sanjay Leela Bhansali—directors most actors would sell their souls to even be around—and has 1.2 million followers on Instagram. Oh, and she also has two adorable cats (at this point, you could say I’m just jealous). So when I was told I’d be interviewing her for our digital cover, I was a little unnerved. After all, I am a year older and spiralling in the very specific way that only 25-year-olds do—when they think it’s over for them because they’re 25 (and hence, ancient), but everyone else their age is basically an infant.

However, my misgivings were soon mollified as my phone pinged with a WhatsApp voice note—Ranta’s first answer. Two answers in, and I learnt that she is also extremely grounded and grateful—her trademark, if I may. The actor attributes it to her small-town upbringing in the district of Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. “I feel blessed to say that I’m from there,” she trails off. “Whenever I can, I go back home to spend time in nature and with my family. It’s really refreshing and instantly makes me feel motivated. There’s this voice inside me that screams, ‘There’s so much more to achieve’.” 

​​Back in her hometown, everyone knows she’s a star, but they’re not making a big deal out of it—they’ve seen this before. Preity Zinta, Ranta’s idol, made it big, so they had no doubt she would too. When she bagged her debut television role in Qurbaan Hua (2020), the entire village was beaming. “They always knew I wanted to be an actor and now that they actually see my dreams coming true, they really feel happy for me,” she reminisces.

Acting wasn’t something Ranta had formal training in—it was all on-the-job learning (with a little help from movie nights with her dad, who she says first introduced her to cinema). “When I started, I had no idea what acting really was. I was lucky enough to work with brilliant directors. My first TV show director trained me, not as a performer for a specific medium, but as an actor—period. He always said that acting is acting, whether it’s TV, film, or digital. And I took that advice very seriously.” For Ranta, honesty is essential—not just in her craft but in relationships too. “It really strengthens my acting,” she tells me. “And if you’re dating, it’s a lifesaver—solves about 70 per cent of your problems. It truly is the best policy.”

Ranta thanks her lucky stars for getting to work with Rao and Bhansali so early in her career. “I think they’ve built a strong foundation for me, now my approach to work is shaped by my experiences on their sets,” she confesses. “I still remember Kiran (Rao) ma’am telling me that my eyes are very expressive and that I should maintain that. And I do. They’ve changed the way I look at cinema and it’s a blessing. Touch wood”.

But we all know that the industry isn’t always kind to outsiders. When our conversation drifts to nepotism, I ask Ranta how she feels about star kids having movies lined up for them despite multiple flops. She responds passionately, mostly in Hindi, “I think we’re at a strange turning point where the industry is figuring out what the audience truly wants. The stakes are higher than ever because audiences now have a direct say—they’ll tell you exactly what they love and what they absolutely don’t. It’s no longer just about newcomers; everyone is being held accountable. If a star kid is genuinely good at their job, they earn their due respect and credit. And the same goes for an outsider—I think, in this regard, things have started becoming fairer. And at the end of the day, if you put in the work, opportunities will come your way. So instead of worrying about who’s getting what, I tend to keep my head down and work hard”.

From a distance, Bollywood seems like this larger-than-life, extravagant ‘heaven’. But it’s only when you take a closer look, that you realise that that’s far from the truth. “No one prepares you for the amount of rejections you face once you move to Bombay (Mumbai) and start auditioning,” Ranta explains. “There are rejections on a daily basis. At first, whenever I was shortlisted or even selected for an audition, I’d get my hopes up, convinced that this was it. But when things didn’t work out, the disappointment hit hard. Eventually, I learnt to detach myself from expectations altogether. And funnily enough, that’s when things started taking a turn for the better. It felt like a gift from the universe—like something truly special.” The constant cycle of hope and rejection takes a toll, she shares. “It can shake your confidence, make you question your worth. You need something to ground you, to remind you that you are good enough. For me, it was dance and yoga—they kept both my mind and body in check”.

Spiritual at heart, Ranta believes in the universe’s way of making things fall into place. “I think it was destiny that led me to Bollywood. There’s no other way to explain how a girl from a small town ended up in Bombay, chasing her childhood dreams all on her own.”

Now, five years into the city, she is beyond grateful for how it has welcomed her. And in return, she’s picked up its accent. “I think the moment you pick up an accent of a place, you know you truly belong,” she chuckles. 

After spending a whole day listening to her voice notes like a podcast, I realised—she’s just like my girlfriends and me. She wants to spend less time on her phone and more time reading, but, well... that’s been on the to-do list forever. And she absolutely can’t get enough of Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)—girl, same. Also, contrary to popular belief, she does feel cold. “Everyone thinks that since I’m from Shimla, I don’t. But trust me, my body has acclimated to Bombay’s weather,” she jokes.

Editor: Pratishtha Dobhal (@pratishtha_dobhal)
Digital Editor: Sonal Ved (@sonalved)
Interview: Ananya Rai (@anniiiiiiiee)
Photographer: Sheldon Santos (@sheldon.santos)
Stylist: Ustat Kharbanda (@ustat.kharbanda)
Cover Design: Mandeep Singh Khokhar (@mandy_khokhar19)
Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)
Make-up Artist: Shraddha Mishra (@shraddhamishra8)
Hair Artist: Forum Gotecha (forum.gotecha), Entourage Talents (@entouragetalents)
Assistant Producer: Riya Kala (@riya_kala)
Assistant Photographer: Vaibhav Manjrekar (@manjrekar_vaibhav)
Assistant Stylist: Urvashi Hemlani (@the_atrangi_mess) 
Artist Reputation Management: Communiquè Films Pr (@Communiquefilmpr)

On Pratibha: Outfit, top, Self Cntrd (@self__cntrd) and denims & tie, Duja India (@dujaindia); Jewellery, earrings, Amama Jewels (@amamajewels) and rings, Swarovski (@swarovski); Shoes, Classic Clog Lavender with Elevated Daisy and Purple Spinner Flower Jibbitz™ Charms, Crocs India (@crocsindia)