Ishita Dixit – The Woman Behind The Spotlight | EXCLUSIVE

Ishita Dixit: Finding Strength in Pari, Embracing Change and Staying True to Herself

From portraying the emotionally layered Pari in Anupamaa to embracing motherhood on screen and dreaming of powerful roles that challenge social narratives, Ishita Dixit is entering an exciting new chapter in her acting journey. What makes her stand out is not just her willingness to explore demanding characters, but also the honesty with which she approaches her craft and life beyond the camera.

In an exclusive conversation with Downtown Mirror Woman, Ishita Dixit opens up about emotionally intense scenes, the lasting influence of Pari on her real-life personality, body confidence, dealing with social media criticism, her love for music, the values that keep her grounded, and the kind of powerful female characters she hopes to portray next.

Excerpts…

Q1. Your performance as Pari in Anupamaa has truly connected with audiences. You recently navigated an emotionally intense track involving betrayal and divorce, with almost two months of heavy crying and emotionally demanding scenes. How do you mentally step away from that intensity once the director calls “cut”?

Ishita Dixit. That was actually one of the most amazing phases for me as an actor. The two-month track involving Raja and my character’s divorce, where Pari believed she had been cheated on and betrayed, gave me so much to explore as a performer.

There were several emotionally intense scenes — breaking down, crying and experiencing a lot of pain. Of course, when you continuously perform such emotions, they do affect you in real life. Some of that heaviness stays with you because you are constantly living those emotions.

As an actor, however, you have to learn how to come out of that space. If you don’t, the emotions can start affecting you internally and leave you feeling extremely heavy.

Some actors are naturally able to switch on and switch off, and I genuinely think that is a talent. But that doesn’t work for me. I have to go deep into the character. I need to give myself time, feel those emotions and then perform.

Every actor has a different process, and this is what works for me.

Q2. Pari is now entering a completely new phase, with pregnancy and motherhood becoming an important part of her journey. How exciting is it to explore this unfamiliar side of her personality?

Ishita Dixit. It is definitely a completely new phase for Pari and, as an actor, a completely new challenge for me. Pari is pregnant, her godh bharai is coming up and her baby bump is now visible, so there is a lot to explore.

I am genuinely excited about exploring motherhood. I have been reading and learning about it because eventually I will also have to perform scenes involving babies, and I want to understand that emotional space.

Since I am not married and don’t have children, this is a very new experience for me. I haven’t really spent much time around children either, so getting to explore these emotions through a character is fascinating.

Some actors may feel uncomfortable about playing a mother on screen, but I look at it differently. For me, it is an opportunity to do something new, and that is what makes acting exciting.

Q3. You have said that playing the calm and grounded Pari has actually changed your personality in real life. How surprising is it to see a character leave such a lasting impression on you?

Ishita Dixit. I definitely feel that I have become much more sober now. I think the character, the journey and, of course, growing up have all played a role in that.

When you portray a character for such a long time, it inevitably starts influencing your real life. Slowly, you can begin to forget the difference between reel and real because the character becomes a part of your life.

Pari is a kind, grounded, next-door girl who always stands for what is right and doesn’t support anything wrong. I have personally picked up many of those qualities from her, and I find that very interesting.

One major change is that I am no longer a party animal. I don’t feel the need to constantly go out or spend time doing things that don’t add value to my life. In many ways, I give Pari credit for that transformation.

Q4. Music is something you rely on to access vulnerable emotions before an intense scene. What does your playlist look like when you need to find that emotional depth?

Ishita Dixit. My playlist has a lot of Kishore Kumar ji, Lata Mangeshkar ji and Rekha Bhardwaj ji. Rekha Bhardwaj ji is probably the most constant presence on my playlist.

There is something about her voice that instantly changes my mood. I can listen to her songs and start crying within seconds. Her music really helps me access a certain emotional space.

Shreya Ghoshal is another favourite. There is something about these singers — the pain and depth in their voices — that really works for me when I need to connect with an emotion, go deeper into a scene or cry.

If I listen to one of their songs, I can genuinely get emotional within ten seconds.

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Q5. You have been very open about social media criticism surrounding body image and weight. How did you reach a point where other people’s opinions stopped affecting you?

Ishita Dixit. My rule is simple: my body, my rules.

I am not saying that being thin or having a particular body type is the definition of beauty. There is no such thing as one perfect figure. For me, what matters most is being comfortable and confident in your own body.

If you are comfortable with yourself, everything else becomes easier. People will always have opinions. Ten people will say ten different things. The most important question is: What do you think about yourself? What matters to you?

Initially, online comments affected me a lot. I would wonder why people were saying such things or why they were criticising me. But now I have reached a point where I simply let people say whatever they want.

I am comfortable with my body, I am happy with the work I am doing, and acting has always mattered the most to me.

Ever since I dreamed of becoming an actor, I never focused excessively on my looks, weight or makeup. My priority has always been acting.

I genuinely feel that our industry needs to move beyond conversations around body type, weight and complexion and start focusing more on real talent. That is the change I would really like to see.

Q6. You have also spoken about wanting to lose weight for health reasons rather than industry expectations. Why is it important to change the conversation around women’s bodies from appearance to well-being?

Ishita Dixit. For me, losing weight has always been about my health. Recently, I was dealing with thyroid and hormonal imbalance, which also made it difficult for me to lose weight.

Every person’s body works differently, and hormones can affect people in very different ways. We don’t always know what someone is experiencing within their own body or what insecurities they may be dealing with.

That is why I feel this is a very sensitive issue. We should respect people’s bodies and avoid passing unnecessary comments.

Sometimes people say things as a joke without realising how deeply those words can affect someone. I have seen people being quite insensitive about this, and I don’t think that is right.

We need to become more mature and empathetic when we talk about someone’s appearance.

Q7. You have spoken about two childhood movie lessons that continue to guide you: “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all” and “Be kind and have courage.” How have these values helped you navigate fame and the unpredictable world of showbiz?

Ishita Dixit. Both lines come from different films — one is from Bambi and the other from Cinderella. I watched them when I was very young, but they had a huge impact on me.

“If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all” is something I genuinely believe in. People can sometimes be cruel. They gossip, say hurtful things and create negativity around others. I have never liked being around that kind of energy.

I think my mother also played a big role in shaping that mindset. She always taught me to speak positively, listen to good things and stay away from people who constantly bring negativity into your life.

You don’t have to force yourself to be part of every group or every environment. If something doesn’t feel right for you, it is perfectly okay to create your own space.

And then there is the other lesson — be kind and have courage.

Kindness can take you a long way in life. If you haven’t intentionally hurt anyone or wished anything bad for someone, I believe life eventually brings good things back to you.

For me, the mantra is simple: remain kind, stay humble, stay grounded and treat everyone equally. We are all human beings, and nobody is above anyone else.

Q8. Beyond the world of daily television, you have expressed a desire to play fiercely driven women—a lawyer, a police officer or even a character with the intensity of Gangubai. What draws you towards powerful and complex female characters?

Ishita Dixit. I think what drives me towards such characters is the sheer depth that women possess. There is so much that women have to say and so many different stories that can be told through them.

Even Anupamaa, as a show, has demonstrated the depth a female character can have. Rupali ma’am’s character has so much emotional strength, and there is so much one can learn from the way she stands up for what is right and brings a sense of empowerment.

I feel blessed when I get the opportunity to portray characters like that because they can also influence the way society looks at certain issues.

The same goes for a character like Gangubai. I want to play a role that leaves a lasting impact on people—something they remember and say, “Ishita Dixit did that, and she absolutely nailed it.”

Whether it is an advocate, a police officer or any other powerful woman, I want to play characters that leave an impression.

That is my dream, and it is one of the biggest things that drives me as an actor.

Q9. Finally, where do you see yourself in the years ahead?

Ishita Dixit. I am here to stay for a long time — that much I know for sure.

There are so many things I want to explore and so many different characters I want to play. This is just the beginning of my career, and I am genuinely excited to discover what lies beyond the next door.

I don’t know exactly what is waiting for me, but I am excited to find out.

I am not here just to make an appearance. I am here to stay.