My accent’s all over the place now, says Banita Sandhu, who after Brigerton and couple of South Indian movies will be seen in Diljit Dosanjh-starrer Sherdil

You know how some people just belong on screen? Banita Sandhu is one of them. But don’t mistake her for someone who’s had it easy. When we spoke to her ahead of the release of Zee5’s Detective Sherdil — where she stars alongside Diljit Dosanjh and Boman Irani — Sandhu was disarmingly honest…

They’re both incredible

Working with Diljit and Boman? Banita lights up at the mention.

“They’re both incredible,” she says. “Watching them work was like sitting through the best acting class of my life.”

She recalls her scenes with Boman Irani. “It felt natural. He’s such a loving, caring man and has this effortless charisma.”

1 foot in every industry

Banita’s career hasn’t followed a straight line — and that’s how she likes it. At one point, she was working on an English TV show while juggling a South Indian production. Two wildly different sets, industries and storytelling styles. “That’s just how my career’s unfolded,” she says. “And honestly? I love it. ”

But that kind of cross-cultural shuffle has some quirky side effects too. Like her accent.

“It’s a mess now,” she laughs. “I’ve done so many different accents for different roles that my natural voice feels like a weird blend of everything.”

I was 18. Alone

Banita doesn’t shy away from talking about the tough stuff.

“I started acting when I was 18,” she says. “I was still in college in London. I had just moved out of my parents’ house. And I was working in India — a country I had never even been to before.”

“There were times I neglected my mental health. But I’m grateful I learned those lessons early,” she says. “Now, I know it’s the simple stuff that keeps you sane — the hours you sleep, the people you’re around, the food you eat. Meditation has been huge for me since I moved to India. It keeps me grounded.”

Mistakes make you move

“There’s so much I wish I could go back and tell my younger self,” she says. “Would I have been more successful if I had avoided a few mistakes? Maybe. But I also wouldn’t be the same person.”