Chitrangada Singh on how she missed the opportunity of starring with Shah Rukh Khan in 'Chalte Chalte'

Chitrangda Singh has always been a fascinating presence on screen, poised, powerful, and private in equal measure. Whether it's her impactful debut in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi or her more recent nuanced turns, she's built a filmography that quietly commands attention. But behind the calm, there's a voice of clarity and quiet rebellion. In a candid conversation with India Forums, the actress opens up about the stories that slipped away, the clichés about 'strong women' that she wishes would end, and the filmmakers who truly understood her.

Here's an edited excerpt from the chat:

Q: We read somewhere that Chalte Chalte was one of the films that you were supposed to do but missed. Is that actually true? What happened?

Chitrangda Singh: Yeah, I mean, I also didn't know. Much later, Shahrukh and I did an ad film together. We were on the bed, I think, with shots set up, and we both were sitting and waiting for the lights to get set and everything. Then he told me that, you know, actually, they were looking for my number, and Juhi's brother Bobby was also, I think, a co-producer on the film or something. And Saeed Mirza had seen my work. So, they were looking for me, but I was not working. So, I did not know. So, that's true. Oh God, fate!

Q: Wow, that would've been something! Hopefully, you and Shah Rukh reunite for something big soon.

Chitrangda Singh: I really hope. I'd love to reunite. I really hope that happens. Directors, please listen to this, we want us together!

Q: Let's jump to something deeper now. What is something that you still feel the film industry gets wrong when it comes to portraying women especially around things like motherhood, mental health, marriage, or divorce?

Chitrangda Singh: See, the one thing that I feel a lot of times when they show strong women, they show them being, wanting to be men. I don't want to be a man, you know, but I can still be a strong woman. It's not necessary that I have to smoke a cigarette to be a strong woman. It's not necessary that I have to drink alcohol to be a strong woman.

It's not necessary that my language should be a man's language to be a strong woman. A lot of times, it becomes a typecast. It's like, you know, they resort to these ways of showing that a woman is strong.

There are so many other ways of showing a strong woman, who's modern, who's cool but she doesn't have to do these things too, which is like... they crutch it. So that one thing, I find a little fake like that.

Q: On a different note, when was the last time you were on a set and felt completely free as an actor?

Chitrangda Singh: You know, when we were doing Gaslight with Pawan Kriplani, I genuinely felt like he was one of those directors who are in love with their actors. The way he loved Vikrant, me, Sara on set, the amount of love and freedom he gave amazing. So, I loved working with Pawan.

Q: Do you feel like you've ever been truly understood by a filmmaker?

Chitrangda Singh: Truly understood, I think it would be Sudhir. I think he understood me before I understood myself, you know.

Q: What does ambition look like to you today, as compared to when you were in your 20s?

Chitrangda Singh: Wow, okay, that's a big one. Ambition looks like I want to be able to do work with very different genres and very different directors- like I still wish to work work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, or Rohit Shetty or Vishal Bharadwaj.

Q: We live in a time where social media and digital platforms have changed the game. How do you see this space impacting actors, especially those who may not have a film release every year?

Chitrangda Singh: There are so many ways that they can connect to the fans. There are so many ways that they can be heard. It's not that you wait for a magazine to take an interview or a newspaper to write something about you. There are so many ways for them to reach their fans and their audiences and have an audience. So even if you don't have that much work coming, you still have constant engagement with your fans. They don't forget you. So, I think that is a very big plus today.

In a world obsessed with quick fame and louder-than-life portrayals, Chitrangda Singh remains refreshingly grounded. Whether it's the candid admission of missed chances, her resistance to stereotypes, or her soft-spoken clarity on ambition, she reflects the journey of a woman who's comfortable with her voice.

As fans continue to wait for her next big screen appearance, there's no doubt that filmmakers, the ones who "love their actors" and "understand them before they understand themselves" have much to gain by tapping into Singh's subtle brilliance.