Child actors from TV shows Anupamaa, Bhagyalakshmi, Kumkum Bhagya share secrets on balancing exams and shoots

As the exam season comes to a close and the new session begins, television's young stars talk about balancing their passion for acting with their pursuit of knowledge.

Aurra Bhatnagar Badoni

The 14-year-old, who played Choti Anu in Anupamaa, is now in Class 9. She is over the moon after scoring 94% in her Class 8 finals. “My final exams took place after the shoot. A big challenge was managing my studies between shoots,” she shares, adding, “The heat and heavy scenes, sometimes with even four pages of dialogues, were exhausting. During small breaks, I often felt like taking a nap, but I had to push myself to study.” She has found her own way to optimise studying within a limited time frame: “I focus on understanding a chapter within 30 minutes. I don’t study for long hours, but I make sure I grasp the concepts well, which helps me score well.” On starting Class 9, she says, “It will be more challenging. My schedule is already packed with studies and exercise, as staying fit is equally important. However, I’m open to movies, web series, ads, or any big projects.”

Swarna Pandey

Swarna Pandey, who plays Pihu in Kundali Bhagya, has scored 80% in Class 3 but insists that “balancing studies with the shooting schedule was the biggest challenge.” But she achieved that with proper planning. “I follow a schedule, which allows me to give time to studies, tuitions, and extracurricular activities along with shoots,” she says.

Ahnaf F Khatri

Having featured in TV shows Tenali Rama and Kumkum Bhagya, Ahnaf F is thrilled to have scored A+ and B+ in Class 3. Reflecting on his grades, Ahnaf mentions he was shooting during his first term exams, and it was “difficult to balance exams with shooting”. “Once I had two exams on the same day, and I also had a shoot. I somehow managed both,” says the young actor. Ahanf, who loves to learn new things, states that he is taking online classes for his next grade, too, “during the breaks between takes on set”.

Asmi Deo

Asmi, who appeared in the TV show Jagriti, was recently promoted to Class 4 after scoring 92%. She shares, “I was shooting for Jagriti, and my mom helped me balance studies with shoots. During breaks, I’d focus on completing my course thoda thoda karke, so I managed it all.” While she is currently focused on her studies, she plans to take a break from shooting to learn new skills like playing the guitar and Kathak this year.

Trisha Sarda

Known for her role in Bhagyalakshmi, Trisha scored an A+ in her final exams and is now in Class 2. She credits her tutor and mother for helping her balance studies with her acting career. “When I get time between shoots, my tuition ma’am comes to help me study. If I don’t understand something, my mom helps me out,” shares Trisha, adding, “I was shooting for a movie during exams, but I had a 10-day break, so I covered all the main topics then.” This year, Trisha has her aim clear: “I want to focus on movies along with my studies.”