Triptii Dimri suffered as her 'choices were not right', feels her acting coach Saurabh Sachdeva: 'An actor learns that'

TRiptii Dimri began her playacting vocation with a kick. After little roles in Mom and card Boys, she wowed critics with back-to-back powerful performances in Laila Majnu, Bulbbul, and Qala. Animal took her mainstream in 2023. But the last year was a mixed bag for the actor. She had three releases, of which Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 was a huge hit, and Vicky Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video did well too. But critics and audiences felt none of the films did justice to Triptii's talent. In 2025, she bounced back with Dhadak 2, once again earning laurels for her acting skills.Her acting coach and frequent co-star, Saurabh Sachdeva, feels the actor did not lose touch with the performer in her. It was all a matter of choices.Saurabh Sachdeva on his students' achievementsIn conversation with Hindustan Times, Saurabh, who has been an acting coach for 20 years, talked about the joy he feels when his students do well. “It's much more powerful when a student gets to express themselves,” he says, adding, “All this began because I lacked the courage to express myself. I overcame that through theatre over the years, but even then, I kept wondering where my expression is here. So, now when I see my students doing that, it moves me. And they are not copying anyone, but finding their unique way of doing it. So many of them, like Raghav (Juyal) or Richa (Chadha) or Triptii (Dimri). These people all have different energies, and I feel very proud that they are doing well.”Saurabh worked as an acting coach at Barry John's acting school in Mumbai from 2005-16, before starting his own acting school, which he continues to run. He has trained close to a thousand actors over the years, but says he cannot take credit for anyone's success. “I taught so many students. Not all of them are there; only some are. It was in their character to succeed. The stakes were so high for them that they had to succeed. I just helped them along the way,” he reasons.When students face criticismSaurabh says that he does not lose heart when one of his students has a bad day at work or receives criticism. “Ache ache players bhi zero par out hote hain (The best of players get out on zero), but you know that they will come back,” he says with a neat cricket analogy. The acting reasons, “A great actor like Irrfan Khan may also not always deliver the performance we expect of him. But there is a performer behind that. Sometimes, the choice of the subject is not right, sometimes films don't work. What matters is that people recognise that the performer is good.”Recently, one of her students, Triptii Dimri, faced criticism for her performance. Triptii began with great performances in her first few films, but was criticised for 'going over' in films like Vicky Aur Vidya Ka Woh Wala Video and Bad Newz, before her 'comeback' with Dhadak 2.“I think with Triptii, her choices didn't work well. But she is wonderful. She looks good on camera, works hard, is vulnerable and sensitive, and is nice to work with. There are no tantrums, from what I saw in the few films I have done with her. All that never changed with her. What happened was that her choices were not right. That is also something an actor needs to learn. You have to make those choices, the ones that are difficult to make,” says Saurabh, who has worked with Triptii in Animal and Dhadak 2.The pressures actors faceSaurabh, who has himself appeared in several big projects like Sacred Games, Jaane Jaan, and Housefull, says actors face a number of pressures, due to which their choices are often influenced. “There is so much pressure on an actor. They have to make a name for themselves, have to look at money, and have to do better than the last one. Then there is PR and the manager, who all have their own advice,” he says.Saurabh and Triptii's Dhadak 2, which also features Siddhant Chaturvedi in the lead role, is currently running in theatres. All three actors have been praised for their performances.