Jun 02, 2026 3:30pm IST
‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’ Actor Niharika Chouksey on Bond with Sharad Kelkar and Being a Parth Samthaan Fangirl (Exclusive)
Viewers of Zee TV’s romance drama “Tumm Se Tumm Tak” have been lapping up the wonderful chemistry between Sharad Kelkar and Niharika Chouksey. Despite a 28-year age gap between them in real life, on screen, the two of them effortlessly create moments that ensure the show stays in the top five of the TRP charts. Aryavardhan (Sharad Kelkar) and Anu (Niharika Chouksey) have just tied the knot on “Tumm Se Tumm Tak.” She confirms to Variety India that the romance and drama are going to get bigger now that the onscreen couple has wed. “Our fans will get to see the married life of Arya and Anu. The whole angle around Rajnandini will be explored in detail. Our audiences will see the entry of many new characters. I would say the high point of ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’ begins now,” she shares. Anita Hassanandani is playing Rajnandini on the show.
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Chouksey is getting immense love for the way she plays her character, especially opposite a seasoned actor like Sharad Kelkar. This love from viewers, says this self-confessed overthinker, fuels her greed to become a better actor with every passing day. “My first show, ‘Faltu,’ was good but did not give me the kind of popularity I had hoped for. ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’ gave me everything I dreamt of while aspiring to be an actor on Indian TV. The show is being loved, and so is Anu. I feel I tend to overanalyze my acting, as TV does not give us the luxury of time to refine our scenes at leisure.”
Chouksey says that she and Kelkar bond like friends off-screen. “Our sense of humor matches. Sharad and I often eat together in his van or just chill. Both of us are from Madhya Pradesh, so there’s that connection too. He is a very cool person who does not carry the baggage of seniority,” she reveals.
She also spoke about the old romance shown between Anu and Arya on the show. “It is like a pure connection of two souls. Our fans love how the two of us make eye contact, care for each other through small gestures, and are always yearning for each other’s presence.”
The pair’s massive age gap had come in for criticism in the early days of the show. What are her thoughts on that? “It always happens with me. When I signed ‘Faltu,’ some said, 'What sort of a name is this?' Then, when I played a transgender person in ‘Aaina – Roop Nahin, Haqeeqat Bhi Dikhaye,’ people had something to say. I got kind of accustomed, and knew when people would watch Anu and Arya, they would forget their reservations,” she states.
Among her favorite onscreen characters is Rani Mukerji’s Shivani Shivaji Roy from the “Mardaani” films. The young actress feels that very few ‘Dabangg’ characters are written for women on Indian Television. She says, “Even a character that starts as an assertive girl ends up becoming a submissive bahu. This is what happened in ‘Faltu’ and also to Anu in ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak.’ I feel Anu is unable to take a stand or speak for herself. I want her to open up now that she is married to Arya. There is a dearth of such roles for young actresses in Indian TV.”
While “Tumm Se Tumm Tak” is ruling the TRP charts, Chouksey reveals she did not sign a show for an entire year after “Aaina” went off air. “I was waiting for a really good project. For TV actors, it is draining to sit at home, especially after you get used to working 30 days a month on a set. I joined dance workshops, took acting classes, and kept myself motivated during that period. I feel blessed that my parents are living with me. I know so many fellow actresses who have to manage everything on their own,” she reflects.
The actor watches every episode of her serial without fail. “I watch ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak’ first and then something light-hearted. As I said, I am an overthinker, and I want to see how my scenes have turned out. I feel this is important for improvement,” she opines.
Any fan-girl moments for her working as a TV actress? “I did a mock shoot with Karan Singh Grover for ‘Tumm Se Tumm Tak,’ then of course, Sharad, another favorite, came on board. I would love to work with Parth Samthaan one day. Everyone loves him,” she shares.
Chouksey, who lists Jennifer Winget as her OG inspiration, says, “What Jennifer did as Maya Mehrotra in ‘Beyhadh’ is something no Indian TV actress has ever done. She gave us the chills in the role of a psychopath. I, too, want to do something of that sort.”
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