Actor Urmila Matondkar has said she is ready to return to acting and is actively exploring new opportunities, including her debut on an OTT platform. In an interview with Hindustan Times, the 51-year-old actor said the time feels right to get back on set after years of being selective with her work.
“It’s just about time to get back onto the sets and get rocking again,” Urmila said, adding that exciting opportunities are finally aligning.
‘I never quit acting’
Addressing the perception that she had stepped away from films, Urmila clarified that her absence was a matter of choice rather than disinterest. After Blackmail, she appeared as a judge on DID Super Moms Season 3 in 2022, but did not take up full-fledged acting roles.
“When it comes to my work, I have always been selective. I can’t blame anybody if they thought I wasn’t doing movies, but that never was the case,” she said, stressing that she is now fully prepared to return to the silver screen.
OTT offers unexplored creative space
Urmila revealed that she has already completed one OTT project, which is expected to release next year. She said digital platforms offer a wider range of genres and emotionally layered characters that were not always available earlier.
“There is so much happening on OTT. It has opened a completely different gamut of genres, characters and emotions,” she said, adding that she is keen on roles that challenge her as an actor and push her beyond familiar territory.
A career built on breaking moulds
Reflecting on her film journey since her debut in Narasimha (1991), Urmila said her biggest achievement was refusing to get stuck in one image. From Rangeela to Judaai, Satya, Kaun, Bhoot and Pinjar, she consciously moved across genres and character types.
“I never got stuck in any mould. I broke each and every mould I created,” she said, adding that while critics may not have always acknowledged this, audiences understood and supported her choices.
Views on pay parity
On the issue of pay disparity, Urmila said the industry has evolved significantly since the 1990s. She noted that she personally had little to complain about, recalling instances where she was paid more than her male co-stars.
“Things have changed tremendously over the last three decades. Payrolls, budgets and the entire ecosystem have evolved,” she said, cautioning against viewing the issue from a single perspective.
With a renewed focus on acting and an OTT debut on the horizon, Urmila Matondkar appears set for a comeback that aligns with her long-standing philosophy of reinvention.