Hemal Dev feels lucky and grateful that she has worked with the likes of Sachin Pilgaonkar, Mahesh Manjrekar, among others in the beginning of her acting career. In fact, it was the former who recommended her for the latter’s project. The actor says that she has got a lot of good work not only because of her hard work but also because of the love and recommendations that she got from her seniors and colleagues in the industry. In fact, her latest role Kalyani in Vidrohi, which has been gaining attention, also has a similar story.
“Good things have always worked out for me. Someone, who liked my work, has always recommended me to something bigger and better every time. The producer of my first film, Supriya Pilgaonkar ma’am, happened to appreciate my performance and recommended me for Kalyani’s role. Of course, I had to go through a few auditions to bag the role but that recommendation really helped. I feel grateful that I have, till now, only worked with the best in the business,” she says.
Ask if she was considering Bollywood and OTT before taking up the TV role and if there were any apprehensions, and Hemal replies, “Honestly, the way we live right now, luckily I have come at a time when there are no boundaries as such. It’s not like people will give you importance or value your work depending on whether you come from TV, OTT or films. I think it’s a very open, boundless space, which is beautiful and because of that now true artists are getting their dues. I also don’t want to be known as just a TV, OTT or film actor. I just simply want to be known as a good artist,” she says.
So what’s your career goal and future plans? “I’m a person who believes in living in the moment and taking each day as it comes, and don’t like to make particular plans. In fact I just believe in taking everything as it comes and making the most out of every opportunity. So if you ask me about career goals, the biggest one is to make sure that my work reaches the maximum number of people because that is exactly what rewards an artist should get for the art they practice. To be able to reach out to more audiences is what we all crave for. That is definitely my goal too,” she says.
