From Kick-Boxer To Actress: Ritika Singh Opens Up About Her Journey

Ritika Singh’s latest OTT venture is Bench Life, a Telugu series streaming on Sony LIV. The series revolves around three employees at an IT company, each desperate to be “benched” for their own personal reasons.

“Meenakshi’s (my character) journey in Bench Life goes from not being able to take a firm stand for herself to someone who finally takes a big leap of faith in the end, goes against all odds, and comes out on the other side a true champion. I’m sure her character arc in the show will inspire many people to follow their passion and pursue what their hearts desire,” Ritika says.

MMA fighter representing India

Interestingly, the actress, who spoke to many IT professionals to learn more about the field, was previously a full-time professional fighter representing India. “Madhavan Sir and Sudha Ma’am picked me from a real-life MMA fight, got me to audition for the role, made me an actress, and changed my whole life! Sudha Ma’am saw something in me before I even saw it in myself. The amount of preparation needed to mould me into an actor was actually insane. I spent months learning my dialogues as we shot the film in two languages—Tamil and Hindi. Before Irudhi Suttru, I had never even heard a single word of Tamil. My debut was literally blood, sweat, and tears, and Irudhi Suttru entirely changed the trajectory of my life,” she told us.

In her upcoming film Vettiyan, Ritika had the opportunity to work alongside legends like Rajinikanth and Amitabh Bachchan. Although initially an intimidating experience, she says they both know how to make everyone feel empowered in their presence. She mentions that, for her, it was the opportunity of a lifetime—so surreal that it still feels like a dream.

With the HEMA Report bringing to light shocking cases of sexual assault, we asked her what three basic things should be implemented for women’s safety on film sets. Here’s what she pointed out:

Ritika's pointers from the Hema report:

1. Bouncers on set at all times.

2. If the shoot ends late, ensure good cars and drivers are provided to drop all the girls home safely, with a bouncer in the car with them.

3. Encourage open communication, and having a female representative whom the girls can approach if something makes them feel uncomfortable would also be of great help.