Veteran actress Niki Walia has spoken candidly about the challenges she faced upon returning to the entertainment industry after a prolonged break, revealing that decades of playing poised, upper-class characters had locked her into a type that casting heads were unwilling to look past — even as the streaming era opened doors to a far wider range of roles.

The Perception Problem

In a recent interview, Walia recalled being told directly by casting heads that she simply could not be cast in the grounded, rural-centric narratives that define much of today's OTT content. 'Casting heads literally told me, ‘You just can’t look poor!’ Apparently, decades of playing poise, elegance, and class etched a permanent ‘rich lady’ sign on my forehead,' she said. The actress acknowledged, however, that the geographical distance she put between herself and the industry when she stepped back to raise her family played a role in cementing that perception.

A Career Spanning Three Decades

Walia, best known for Baat Ban Jaye and most recently seen in Bhai Tera Star Hai alongside Raghav Juyal and Niharika NM, has been a recognisable face in Indian film and television for over 30 years. She described her hiatus as a conscious choice — one she holds no regrets about — but noted that the industry she returned to was structurally different from the one she had left. 'Stepping back to start my family put a pretty massive geographical gap between me and the industry. Then came the streaming era, which completely flipped the script on television roles,' she said.

How the Industry Has Changed

Beyond the typecasting challenge, Walia observed a broader cultural shift in how the film and television business now operates. 'The film industry has definitely gone corporate, and boy, has it changed the vibe! Interactions with friends I’ve known for 30 years have suddenly gotten way more formal and indirect, except for a lucky few producers and directors who still keep it real,' she noted. The increased corporatisation, she suggested, has replaced the personal trust that once governed professional relationships with more transactional dynamics.

What Has Stayed the Same

Despite adapting to the new reality — including opening herself up to auditions and script readings — Walia insisted her core approach to her craft has not shifted. 'My character prep, my work ethic, and my professionalism haven’t changed one bit!' she said. She pointed to the advances in hair, makeup, and prosthetics as evidence that the physical barrier the industry perceives is essentially no barrier at all. 'I know I’ve got the acting muscle to pull off whatever they throw at me — I just need the industry to take a leap of faith!' she added.

Looking Ahead

After three decades in the business, Walia said her only ask is for the opportunity to demonstrate her range. She expressed a clear desire to move beyond the gilded image that defined her earlier career and take on the kind of complex, layered characters that the current content landscape demands. Whether casting decisions ultimately shift in her favour will depend, she suggested, on the industry's willingness to see past its own long-held assumptions.