Chetna Pande Reveals Being Noticed & Replaced By Ektaa Kapoor A Day Before Promo Shoot Of Kitani Mohhabat Hai

Chetna Pande, who is celebrating the success of her horror film Haunted 3D: Echoes Of The Past, was never supposed to be an actor. She was pursuing her MBA in Pune, living a perfectly normal life, when a chance encounter with Ekta Kapoor outside a club changed everything.

She said, "I was standing outside a club when I suddenly saw a huge crowd gathering because she was arriving. Back then, everyone was crazy about her because people believed that if she noticed you, she would cast you, and your life would change. I saw her and thought to myself that if Ekta Ma'am ever noticed me, my life would change too. It was just a random thought in my mind because I never imagined she would notice me in such a huge crowd.

But Ekta did notice her. She said, "She was sitting inside her car talking on the phone. Suddenly she looked up as if she were searching for someone, and her eyes stopped on me. She kept looking at me for a few moments and then asked someone to bring my number."

I was standing outside a club when I suddenly saw a huge crowd gathering because she was arriving. Back then, everyone was crazy about her because people believed that if she noticed you, she would cast you, and your life would change. I saw her and thought to myself that if Ekta Ma'am ever noticed me, my life would change too. It was just a random thought in my mind because I never imagined she would notice me in such a huge crowd.

- Chetna Pande

The next day, Chetna met Ekta, who told her she was casting for one of her shows and wanted her to audition in Mumbai. She said, "I had never been to Mumbai before, but I knew this was a huge opportunity, so I immediately agreed. The problem was that I knew absolutely nothing about acting."

What followed was a leap of faith that most people would never take. She said, "I asked one of my friends to come with me to Mumbai. We bunked college, travelled here, and I gave my audition. Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing. I simply read my lines the way you would give a presentation during your MBA or present a college project."

I asked one of my friends to come with me to Mumbai. We bunked college, travelled here, and I gave my audition. Honestly, I didn't know what I was doing. I simply read my lines the way you would give a presentation during your MBA or present a college project

- Chetna Pande

She thought it was over, that she would return to her regular life. But a week later, she got the call. She was selected. Now came the harder part, convincing her family. She said, "I even forged my father's signature because I knew my parents would never believe me if I told them the truth. I somehow arranged everything, got the fake signature sent, dropped out of college and reached Mumbai."

The show was Kitani Mohabbat Hai, later done by Kritika Kamra and Karan Kundrra. Chetna was replaced just one day before the promo shoot. But she holds no bitterness about it. She said, "Even today, I say that Ekta Ma'am is the reason I came to Mumbai and the reason I am living my dreams today."

me for everything that came later," Chetna ended.

I even forged my father's signature because I knew my parents would never believe me if I told them the truth. I somehow arranged everything, got the fake signature sent, dropped out of college and reached Mumbai.

- Chetna Pande

After that early setback, she found herself alone in a city she knew nothing about. She said, "I struggled a lot because I was completely new to Mumbai and knew nothing about the city. But I understood one thing very clearly. I did not want to go back because I had no other option. I had already left my MBA."

She never went back to complete her degree. She said, "I studied only for six months. Honestly, academics were never my passion. Sometimes life takes you towards your destiny on its own, and I think I was destined to come to Mumbai."

I struggled a lot because I was completely new to Mumbai and knew nothing about the city. But I understood one thing very clearly. I did not want to go back because I had no other option. I had already left my MBA.

- Chetna Pande

About a year later, she landed an advertisement with Aamir Khan for Coca Cola, which became her first project. She said, "After another year or two, I got Fanaa, and then slowly other opportunities started coming my way. But the struggle never really stopped.”

“I learned everything on my own because I had never taken any acting course. I used to attend auditions, observe people, learn from every rejection, and that entire struggle became my acting school. I believe those struggles prepared me for everything that came later,” she concludes.