Actress Surveen Chawla, who has earned praise for her powerful performances in films like Parched and web shows such as Sacred Games and Decoupled, has candidly opened up about the harsh realities of her early days in the television industry. In a recent interview with Hauterrfly, Surveen revisited the emotional and professional challenges she faced at the start of her acting career.
Surveen made her debut on Indian television with Ekta Kapoor’s popular daily soap Kahiin Toh Hoga, where she worked under immense pressure. “I was shooting for Balaji four days a week. It felt like some cosmic force was just weighing down on me,” she said. Having no prior experience in acting, she recalled being mocked for her accent and struggling to fit in with the fast-paced factory-like setup of Indian television.
“In television, the treatment is like you’re a cow or a buffalo—gai bhains jaisi treatment hoti hai,” Surveen shared bluntly. “There are strict timelines, daily episodes to deliver, and no room for individuality. It’s not about who you are, it’s about how much you can deliver.”
She also recounted an unpleasant experience with a director during her early days. “Many women had issues working with him. But he was a favorite of the production house. It felt like we were being sent into battle, not a creative space,” she said. What disturbed her more was seeing women in positions of power adopting the same harsh methods. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s true. That toxic energy just trickles down.”
Despite these setbacks, Surveen carved her way out of television and transitioned into films and digital platforms, where she found more creative freedom and respect. Today, her journey stands as a testimony to perseverance—and the cost of making space in a ruthless industry.
- De De Pyaar De 2’s R Madhavan on redefining parenting: ‘I need new rules to have the same impact my parents had on me’ - November 21, 2025
- Bengali Fan-Favourite Anirban Chakrabarti Makes His Hindi TV Debut with Eken Babu - November 20, 2025
- Bigg Boss 19: Gaurav Khanna’s wife Akanksha gives him a reality check; says ‘Play on the front foot, no one here is following ethics like you are’ - November 18, 2025
- Bigg Boss 19: Gaurav Khanna observes a shift in Ashnoor Kaur’s game after Abhishek Bajaj’s exit - November 10, 2025
- Bigg Boss 19: Tanya Mittal lashes out at Shehbaaz Badesha; says ‘Mujhe sharm aati hai ki tu jaise ko dost banaya maine’ - November 5, 2025
- Bigg Boss 19: Farrhana Bhatt and Shehbaaz lock horns over house duties; former says ‘Please go and appeal to your sister’s fans instead’ - November 4, 2025
- Munawar Faruqui returns as Arif: Power, betrayal and redemption collide in First Copy 2 teaser - October 27, 2025
- Rise and Fall: Arjun Bijlani wins the trophy and Rs 28 lakh cash prize; says ‘This journey was anything but easy’ - October 17, 2025
- Rise and Fall grand finale: Arjun Bijlani, Aarush Bhola, Arbaz Patel, Dhanashree Verma, Nayandeep Rakshit and Akriti Negi – Who will win trophy? - October 16, 2025
- Sharad Malhotra to play a cop in ‘Yeh Hai Sanak’; says ‘I revisited some iconic cop films to add authenticity to my performance’ - September 26, 2025