Harleen Kaur Rekhi On Her Journey From TV To Theatre: "Success Isn’t a Fixed Point, It’s About Consistency"

Harleen Kaur Rekhi, widely recognised for her portrayal of Mandodari in Shrimad Ramayan, is now seen in the stage production Hamare Ram alongside veteran actor Ashutosh Rana.

In a detailed conversation, Harleen opens up about her early beginnings, how she views the acting profession, and what success really means to her."That's a very interesting question. If not acting, I would have loved to serve my country-perhaps in the armed forces. I'm talking about any of the services: the army, the navy, defense-anything. You name it. Any form of service to the nation would have been an honor," she shares.

Her entry into acting was unplanned but meaningful. "Honestly, everything happened all of a sudden. One moment, my mom and I were just sitting in our bedroom watching a TV serial, and from there, something shifted. That passion quietly transformed into my profession. The rest, as they say, is history. My journey is right here in front of you."She takes her work seriously, treating it as much more than a career. "I consider acting a very serious profession. I treat it like my life. Of course, in the broader creative journey, it's just a chapter-but for me, it's a vital one. Acting is life to me. That said, I don't romanticize it too much. As I said earlier, Dev, life has its own way. There are certain people, certain experiences, that shape us. That's the nature of our industry. And it's okay-I can't keep cribbing about things that aren't in my control.""I've learned to accept it all. I even feel sorry for some people who get caught up in the wrong things. But such is life. You can't expect it to always be perfect or fair. Sometimes, it balances out. Sometimes, it doesn't."Harleen describes herself as ambitious but grounded, guided by values instilled by her family. "I've always been ambitious-but I believe in following the right path, with dignity, hard work, and sincerity. That's where the real game begins. Because once you're in the industry, there's always comparison, always competition. But staying humble and grounded is the key-and I credit my family entirely for that.
They've instilled those values in me: to stay grounded, to not overdo things, to just be."She adds, "Be yourself. Don't let success get to your head. Stay balanced. But also, stand up for yourself when needed. Speak for yourself when it matters."

On competition, she says, "I'm constantly competing with myself. If I look at who I was 10 years ago, both as a person and as an actor, I know I've grown. And 10 years from now, I want to be better still. So yes, competition exists, but it starts with yourself."She also addresses how ambition is sometimes misunderstood. "It's common for ambitious people to be misunderstood. I've faced that. I said this before-I've always been ambitious, but I've tried to walk the right path with integrity and dignity. And it's okay if people misjudge you. You can't please everyone. It's perfectly fine."Harleen believes that success requires more than just talent. "Honestly, visibility is just as important as depth. If someone has great depth but isn't visible, it all goes to waste. You need both-substance and presence."To her, success is an ongoing effort. "Success, for me, isn't a fixed point. There's no one metric or map for success. A project might do well, and that's great. But what about the next one? You can't ride on one show or one film forever. Consistency is everything. There will be ups and downs, highs and lows, but staying consistent-that's success.""Hard work, sincerity, and a bit of luck-that's the recipe. And I truly believe success follows that combination. I'm manifesting it that way. Not waiting-it's happening.

"Looking ahead, she's clear about the kind of roles she wants to explore. "I've always dreamed of playing a RAW agent or taking on a physically demanding role-something like a wrestler, like in Sultan. I want to do a role that pushes me physically and mentally, beyond the glamour and charm. I'm really waiting for that kind of role-or rather, I'm ready for it."