Something that genuinely surprises people — your whole family is engineers?
Aastha Singh: Every single one. My father, my uncles, my cousins — engineers, all of them. And then there's me. I'm the person who showed up one day and said, actually, I want to act. You can imagine how that went down initially.
Was there a moment where it got really hard at home?
Aastha Singh: It wasn't one big dramatic moment — it was more like a slow process. My parents needed time, you know? They come from a conservative background where this kind of career just wasn't on the map. I understood that. But my elder sister — she got it from day one. She's been with me through and throughout. I owe her a lot. And now my parents are fully on board, which honestly makes everything sweeter.
When your parents finally came around — did it feel like a weight lifting?
Aastha Singh: Yes — completely. There's something different about doing this with their blessing versus without it. Not that I would have stopped, but having it just feels different. Lighter.
You've been dancing Kathak since you were six. Did performing ever feel like something you chose, or was it just always who you were?
Aastha Singh: It was just always there. My parents put me on stage early — Kathak, singing, school plays, all of it. Stage teaches you something no classroom does. You learn to hold a room. You learn that the preparation and the presence matter, that none of it happens in one night. Theatre in college took that even further. By the time I walked into an audition room, I wasn't walking in cold.
And the early years in Mumbai — ads, rejections, the whole grind?
Aastha Singh: Look, when you're starting out, it's a tricky business. You take whatever comes on your plate — commercials, auditions, more auditions. But I always had this internal certainty that films would happen for me. I didn't know when, I didn't know how. But I knew. That belief kept me going on the days when nothing was moving.
"I always had this internal certainty that films would happen for me. I didn't know when or how. But I knew."
Take us back to the moment you found out you had Chand Mera Dil.
Aastha Singh: It came through panchami ghavrii Casting — two rounds of auditions and then it was done. Jyotsna was mine. And when I heard it was Dharma Productions, directed by Vivek Soni — I'd grown up watching Dharma films. This wasn't just a job, this was a childhood thing. I was ecstatic, nervous, and completely overwhelmed, all at the exact same time.
And Vivek Soni as a director — what was he like on set?
Aastha Singh: He has this ability to make people feel calm — just genuinely calm. He treated everyone on set with so much warmth. When your director creates that kind of environment, you feel safe to take risks. And that matters, especially for your first film.
Tell me about meeting Ananya Panday for the first time.
Aastha Singh: Day one on set, we just sat down next to each other and started talking. About life, about our journeys, about random things — exactly the way friends talk. And we were supposed to be playing best friends in the film! So in a way, we didn't have to manufacture anything. It was already there. She is very sweet. Very genuine.
And Lakshya — ten years in the industry. Did that seniority ever feel intimidating?
Aastha Singh: Not even for a second, honestly. He's experienced but completely chill. Whenever I had a question — how do I play this, how do I hold this in front of the camera — I'd just go to him and he'd answer like it was nothing. No ego, no impatience. Between takes we'd play games and just talk. He made the whole thing feel easy.
The premiere — seeing yourself on screen for the first time. What actually happened?
Aastha Singh: My sister was right there next to me. I leaned over and told her to pinch me — I actually said that. I asked her, is this real? Because I come from outside this industry. No connections, no shortcuts. Whatever I have is purely from the time and work I've put in. So to sit there and watch yourself on a big screen — it was just magical. That's the only word for it.
Every actor talks about rejection. But be real with us — how do you actually handle it on the bad days?
Aastha Singh: On the bad days? I go back to one line — whatever is meant for you will happen for you, and it will not be taken from you. That's it. Because you start to see every rejection not as a door closing but as just... not your door. And you keep walking.
"Every rejection is not a door closing — it's just not your door. And you keep walking."
If you could pick any role in the world right now, what would it be?
Aastha Singh: A historical character from India — the Mughal era, or maybe the freedom struggle — directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I'm a massive fan of his vision. The grandeur, the emotion — everything he does. And if the universe is feeling generous, a Marvel superwoman would be very welcome too.
Who do you look at and think — I want that career?
Aastha Singh: Alia Bhatt, without question. I've watched almost everything she's done. It's not just the performances — it's the choices. The kind of films she says yes to. That intentionality is what I admire. She inspires me a lot.
Tell us about what's next — the Amazon Prime series. How much can you say?
Aastha Singh: I've already wrapped it, which feels surreal to say. It's a genre I've never done as an actor — but one I grew up watching and genuinely loving. I'm playing a key character. I cannot say much more than that, but I am really, really excited for people to see it. Hopefully by the end of this year. Fingers crossed — both hands.
what do you say to someone sitting at home right now, wondering if they should even try?
Aastha Singh: Don't look at the rejections — look at the work you're putting in. The more you work, the more work finds you. Wake up every single day grateful that you get to chase what you love. And take a stand for yourself, even when no one else is standing with you. Because the same people who didn't believe in you — when you get there, they'll be the first ones asking about you. So just. Be. At it.
