Exclusive interview with  Avantika Akerkar, Indian Actress

By Jean-Paul Eliard
The 23 September 2025

Hi Avantika, I am very happy to do this interview. 
 

Could you introduce yourself to the visitors of cinema-movietheater.com? 
 Bonjour mes amis.  Veuillez m’excuser, mais je préfère ècrire en Englais car c’est plus facile pour moi.

My name is Avantika Akerkar and I am an Indian born actor with a German mother and an Indian father. 

I entered acting quite by change in the mid 2000s, and since then, have had the pleasure of working in Indian and international films, theatre and television. 

I have also had the great pleasure of working with amazing legendary actors as Dames Judi Dench and the late Maggie Smith; Oscar winners Jane Fonda, Marissa Tomei and many others internationally. 

Happily my interactions with Indian iconic actors as Naseeruddin Shah (our short film called Rogan Josh won the Indian equivalent of an Oscar), Amitabh Bacchan, Shabana Azmi and others has been most rewarding. 

The transition from stage to film to TV has been very interesting.

What do you like when you read the script? 
The story should be most important.  It should make sense and have something to say – doesn’t have to be pompous or grand, but meaningful. 

Then I see if it’s well written.  And finally what is the arc of my character, and is there room for changes in a script to suit the character for me.

And what did you think when you discovered your character Indira Gandhi?
Interestingly, after I returned to India after having lived in America for many years where I did not act but was working in the corporate world, I met a director by chance who asked if I would play Mrs. Gandhi in a biopic he was doing on her. 

Sadly, that never happened but since then I have played her 6 times in 4 different language films – although she always either spoke English or Hindi. 

I have been told many times that I look like her, which for me is a compliment as she was a very complicated person, and it's an honour to be able to play her.

Can you tell us how you got your role
I got a phone call asking if I would consider playing her.  I believe they were slightly hesitant to cast me, as I had played her many times before, but I liked the script and agreed.
 
How was the shooting with Pratik Gandhi, Kunal Thakur, Anoop Singh, Rajat Kapoor..........?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have the chance to shoot with any of the above actors except Rajat Kapoor. 
He is a consummate actor, and I’ve worked with him before. 
So, it’s always easy to work with somebody who understands his craft and brings the right amount of gravitas to the work required. 
 
Where is this TV series shot? 
My scenes were mostly shot in Delhi, the capitol, to give the grand feeling of the Prime Ministerial backdrop.  In fact, I believe we had to get special permission to do that. 
 

Do you watch yourself during the broadcast?
I very often don’t watch myself after I shoot a film or television series.  But because I had to dub parts of the show in both English and Hindi, I had to watch myself.  And of course, like most actors, most self-critical. 
 

When and why did you choose to become an actress? Is it a film, an actress..........?
I have always been interested in the entertainment world, and if you ask my parents, they will share I’ve been acting since I was 5 years old. 

This continued throughout high school and college. 

And then I ended up in New York, too intimidated and with no confidence to try acting.  I used to watch a lot of Broadway and Off-Broadway shows with the hope that one day I might also start acting. 

When I returned to India in early 2000, a chance encounter with a stage director led me to my first play, and since then have never looked back. 

One could say timing is everything; and a bit of luck. 
 

What is your next challenge / project?
I won’t comment on that right now as it’s still in discussion stages.  But I hope that I might get to direct and produce my 2nd play.  Stay tuned… 
 

Do you have anything else you'd like to add?
Thank you Jean-Paul for reaching out to me, and asking me to do this interview.  It made me think about my role as an actor, and the responsibility I share with my fellow global actors.  To anybody considering getting into acting, I would say to believe in yourself and be patient. Merci.

My preview :

Saare Jahan Se Accha (Netflix) is a captivating Indian spy series set in the 1970s.
All the actors are excellent, with a special mention for Pratik Gandhi, who plays a spy with remarkable finesse.

Saare Jahan Se Accha is a true lesson in creating a compelling yet deeply human spy drama. Set against the tense backdrop of Indo-Pakistani intelligence operations, this serie offers a captivating experience.

My mark :
09 / 10