With strength comes determination and courage, living upto the words, introducing you to our Influencer host par excellence Ritwika’s journey where she teaches us the importance of believing in yourself to grow and succeed in life right from a very tender age. Even much before entering for the higher studies, Ritwika had clarity about what she wanted to become in life. Very few people have such a clear vision about their lives.
Getting Started
Being raised in Singapore, Ritwika always wanted to pursue her career in the entertainment industry as her father led a reputed theatre group which he juggled with his corporate life in Singapore. Coming from a family who loves performing arts, Ritwika learned acting and dancing right from her childhood and was always seen performing on the stage during her school and college days. At that time, she never thought that theatre would become her dream career, but by that time she was in college, she was already a professional dancer with her dance crew. Even with limited opportunities in Singapore, her talent shined through and she got a chance to perform with Shah Rukh Khan at Zee Carnival when he visited Singapore.
Acknowledging the limited opportunities in Singapore, Ritwika decided to travel to Mumbai by herself for 3-4 months and enrolled in ‘Actor Prepares’ by Anupam Kher. In just a few months, Ritwika managed to grab a TV commercial opportunity as well, but had to travel back to Singapore to complete her studies. Her parents supported her in this endeavor but were skpectical to let her go alone to Mumbai. But with sheer determination, Ritwika took the decision to do it again and came back to Mumbai to not go back without any success.
Starting from the Scratch
At the age of 22, she started going for auditions afresh. Here she got a chance to host and present events. She also got selected for many ads like Dominos, Reliance, and more. However, the frequency of the projects were inconsistent. Ritwika knew she had to gain financial stability in order to survive in Mumbai. It was around this time that she got called in a fashion show by the Aditya Birla Group, where she got a chance to host the show, which was telecasted on a TV Channel. It kickstarted her presenting career, and she started getting a lot of gigs.
Her Dreams and Aspirations
Her experience working with a TV Channel in Mumbai led to her working in many other lifestyle-related shows on television and digital on a contract basis.
From struggling to get an opportunity to eventually hosting 5 shows across 3 countries in a span of two years, Ritwika knew she found her calling. She also dabbled as an actor on popular TV shows like Gumraah (Channel V), Girls on top (MTV), and Preeto (NDTV Imagine).
Ritwika realized that while her dream was to be an actor, she had immense fun while she pursued a career as a host, which gave her popularity and helped her to build her niche. Her fans’ positive feedback on social media platforms also affirmed her belief that she is at the right place doing something good. It brought a lot of satisfaction to her. Currently, she is hosting a weekend feature show that airs on ZEE5 and Wion. In the last year, she has also gained popularity for her diverse content on social media which includes style, dance, travel, and more.
Talking about her dreams, she told us about producing her own travel shows. With India having so much to offer, the possibilities are endless. Going forward, she is planning to take this further. While Ritwika has marked her niche in anchoring space, now she is exploring her acting career in films and streaming platforms, which is on the lines to be launched soon.
When you meet Ritwika in person
As a person, she describes herself as a chilled-out, happy-go-lucky person. She is ambitious about many things and has a go-getter attitude. She is very close to her mom who has been instrumental in grooming the artist in her. Both parents encouraged her to pursue her dream and fulfill the same. She misses them both and wishes to stay close to them.
Her two cents about life
People need to know why they want to do what they want to do. There is no point pursuing a thing about which they do not feel passionate. If you are looking for something long-term, be passionate about it. Hard work and perseverance will follow. She experienced her share of struggles but overcame them. Ritwika focused on reinventing herself and experienced new things. Her biggest goal is to continue doing things that she loves the most. Covid time also gave her a chance to reinvent herself, learn new things while shooting from home. She took this as a learning opportunity.
Ritwika is someone from whom a lot can be learned. Her dedication and passion for what she has done, is doing, and plans to do with her life and career is a success story in itself.
