Pragati Srivastava on collaborating with maverick filmmakers like Prakash Jha, Anand L Rai

For most actors, the learning begins after their first release. For Pragati Srivastava, it started much before that. While she’s still awaiting her Hindi film debut, Pragati has already had the chance to work with filmmaker Prakash Jha and is now part of a film backed by Aanand L. Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions and is also working on a film produced by Maddock Films.

Looking at the line up of her projects, she says it’s not something she ever imagined would happen this early in her career.

“I genuinely feel very lucky,” says Pragati. “I’m still waiting for my Hindi debut, but I’ve already had the opportunity to be on sets with filmmakers like Prakash sir and also worked on a film backed by Aanand sir’s banner. These are people whose films I’ve watched growing up, so just being around them and seeing how they approach storytelling has been a huge learning experience.”

Pragati says that working with filmmakers and production houses known for content-driven cinema has shaped the way she looks at her own craft. “As a newcomer, you absorb everything, how a scene is discussed, how actors are directed, how decisions are made on set. I’ve been fortunate that my first experiences have been with people who are so deeply involved about the stories they’re telling. Those are lessons I’ll carry with me for a long time.”

While audiences are yet to see her Hindi debut, Pragati says she’s in no hurry. “I just want to keep learning and doing good work. If the beginning of my journey has already given me experiences like these, I can only be thankful.”