Surabhi Das on leaving TV stability for OTT risks: “The script chooses me, but the role must matter”
Leaving something that’s working — and choosing uncertainty instead — is rarely a comfortable decision. For Surabhi Das, the move away from television came at a time when she had consistency, visibility, and a clear path ahead. Walking into OTT and film meant giving up that safety net and starting over in a space that demands a different rhythm, a different gaze, a different kind of performance.
There’s no overstatement in how she frames this shift. With Carnaame: Badla Gear Palti Kismat, Surabhi is not positioning it as a perfectly planned transition or a moment of complete control.
At this stage, scripts aren’t hers to pick and choose freely. What is hers, however, is the instinct to move, the willingness to take that risk, and a growing clarity about the kind of roles she wants to hold on to — and the ones she’s ready to let pass. Surabhi talks to Indulge as she explores this phase shaped by patience as much as ambition, where saying no becomes as important as saying yes, and where the idea of relevance begins to outweigh the comfort of continuity.
From Nima Denzongpa to Carnaame and Ramayana: Surabhi Das reinvents herself beyond television
Excerpts:
Your OTT debut with Carnaame: Badla Gear Palti Kismat marks a clear pivot — what about this story made it feel like the right entry point into the digital space?
Right now, I’m in that phase of my career where I don’t choose which project I’ll do for OTT or films. The script chooses me, the casting director decides if they want to audition me, and the director decides if I’m right for the part. I’m not at that position yet where I can control everything, so I’m open to what comes my way as long as it feels meaningful and gives me something to do as an actor.
Carnaame came to me in that exact way. I auditioned, I got selected, and I shot for it. I feel very happy to be part of this project because it gave me something different to explore. My character is different from what I’ve played till now. She’s a strong girl — someone who stands for herself and for the people around her. That strength, and the fact that she has a voice within the story, made it feel like a special project for me, even if I didn’t consciously plan it as my OTT debut.
What shifted for you as a performer moving on from television — did it demand a different kind of restraint or risk?
The performance style is very different when you move from television to OTT and films. In television, we have to do a little extra because there is a lot of drama and everything is stretched over a longer format. If you perform too naturally, sometimes the emotion may not reach the audience in the same way, so you end up amplifying certain expressions.
With OTT and films, it becomes the opposite. You have to underplay. In serials, we overplay, but here everything is more real and subtle. The camera captures every small detail, so even a slight shift in expression matters. For me, this meant changing a lot of things — the way I speak, the way I deliver dialogues, and even how I pause inbetween lines. It’s about trusting the silence and trusting that the audience will understand without everything being spelled out.
You’ve built a strong recall with Nima Denzongpa — how do you consciously break away from an established screen identity while stepping into new formats?
I felt it was the right time for me to shift. I didn’t feel like I had reached a point where everyone immediately recognises me from television, so I wasn’t stuck in a very fixed image. That actually helped me, because it made the transition into films and web series easier in a way.
At the same time, it was not an easy decision. Television gives you stability — you have a monthly income, you have continuous work, and you know what’s coming next. Leaving that meant saying no to projects, saying no to auditions, and stepping into something completely new with different people and a different system. That uncertainty is scary, but I also felt that if I didn’t take that step at that moment, I might not take it later.
You’re simultaneously entering the OTT space and a large-scale film like Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari — how do you calibrate your performance across projects that operate on such different scales?
For me, the difference begins with how I physically step into the character. In Carnaame, I’m wearing skirts and jeans, and it’s a very contemporary world. In Ramayana, I’m wearing lehengas with heavy jewellery, and the moment I wear that, I feel like I become a different person. My posture changes, the way I move changes, and that automatically affects my performance.
The scale and tone of both projects are also completely different. I shot Ramayana earlier and Carnaame later, so I had enough time to come out of one character before entering the other. I feel like you can’t mix them even if you try because they belong to very different worlds. For me, that contrast is actually exciting. It reminds me that as an actor, I get to explore completely different lives and realities.
Your work often leans into emotional nuance — what’s your process for finding authenticity without over explaining a character?
I always try to be as real and honest as possible. In real life, when we are feeling something strongly, we don’t always express it fully. If we are sad or angry, we often suppress it or hold it back, and that makes the emotion feel more layered and real.
So I feel the less I show, the more real it becomes. I don’t try to over-explain a character or make everything obvious. Instead, I create scenarios in my head. I build a world for the character — how she would react, how she would feel, how she would speak, how she would behave in different situations. I’m not a method actor, I’m more like switch on and switch off. But I imagine a lot, and once I’m in that moment, I just try to live it as truthfully as I can.
As you move into this next phase, what are you actively seeking in scripts now that you may have overlooked earlier?
Right now, I’m very clear that I don’t want to do characters that don’t make a difference. Even if it’s just two scenes, those two scenes should be important. If someone removes my character from the film, it shouldn’t feel complete. That’s the kind of impact I’m looking for in any role I take up.
A senior actor once told me something that stayed with me — that I should always do characters which would be highlighted. It’s a simple line, but it says a lot about the importance of presence and significance within a story. I’m more focused on lead roles, but even if it’s not a lead, I’m happy to do it if the character is important. For me now, it’s not about how much screen time I have, but about whether the role adds something meaningful to the story.
Looking at your trajectory so far, what have been the more intentional choices versus instinctive ones in shaping your career?
If I look at it clearly, staying in television would have been the more intentional and safe choice for me. It would have meant continuing with something that was already working and stable. But moving to OTT and films — that was completely instinctive.
After Pandya Store, I just felt like I didn’t want to do television at that point, especially if I couldn’t give my 100 per cent to the work. I wanted to try something new, even if it didn’t work out. I told myself that if it works, it works, and if it doesn’t, I can always come back to television and start again. It was a difficult decision because you are choosing uncertainty over stability, but I’m really glad I took that step. I feel happy where I am right now, and I feel excited about what’s coming next.