Shiv Shakti - Tap Tyag Tandav's Srikant Dwivedi reveals why he's never fully satisfied with his takes

Actor Srikant Dwivedi, known for his lead role in Lakshmi Narayan and currently portraying Lord Vishnu in the mythological show Shiv Shakti - Tap Tyag Tandav, recently opened up about his approach to acting. In a conversation, he shares that he is never fully satisfied with his performances, often feeling that there is always room for improvement.

“First of all, I’m never fully satisfied with my takes. I never count any take as “perfect.” I always feel there’s room for improvement, and honestly, I believe that perfection doesn’t exist. It’s just an idea. To be very honest, not every time do you feel like you’ve delivered a perfect take. It’s about doing your best in the moment and aiming to give a good performance, even if you know there’s always more you could improve,” he says.

When asked how challenging it is to maintain his performance, Srikant shares, “Initially, it was very difficult. When you are doing a TV show, it takes time to build your character and accept it as your own. Gradually, you get the hang of the character. Over time, as you keep performing, there comes a point where you don’t need to focus too much on your movements. The more you focus on your lines and the situation, and the better prepared you are for the scene, the easier it gets. Eventually, you immerse yourself so deeply into the character that everything starts to flow naturally. You don’t need to put in as much effort anymore. But yes, in the beginning—especially during the first two or three months—it requires a lot of hard work. As they say, the more effort you put in at the start, the easier things become later. That’s how it has been for me.”

Audiences are very smart; they can tell which scenes they relate to and which ones they don’t

- Srikant Dwivedi

Speaking about the importance of emotional investment in his scenes, he explains, “Emotionally and physically, it’s very important for any actor to be fully invested in a scene. If an actor is not emotionally and physically present in the scene, then they’re just delivering lines, and the scene holds no meaning for them. Until an actor is truly invested on both levels, the scene won’t feel impactful. Even as a viewer, you can sense that something is missing—it becomes very evident. Audiences are very smart; they can tell which scenes they relate to and which ones they don’t. Acting is all about what’s visible in your eyes—true emotions reflect there. I still feel I have a long way to go when it comes to expressing everything through my eyes. Every day is a new learning experience for me, and I know it’s not easy. But for any actor, it’s essential to be both emotionally and physically committed to bringing life to a scene. Without that, the performance won’t feel genuine.”