Actress Riya Bhattacharje, who was last seen in Ishq Mein Marjawan 2, talks about her journey and more

Talking about her journey, Riya says, "I hail from Kunj Bihar which is near Darjeeling and Siliguri. I started my career as a model. I was Miss India East 2014 finalist when I was in college. Apart from being a model, I have also done some TV shows like Hello Mini season 1, Ishq Mein Marjawan 2, and a Bengali film Boxer. It took me some time to figure out what I wanted to pursue as my career. Soon I realized I like acting and enjoyed doing it. That's when I started attending workshops and looking out for auditions."

Adding to the same, she says, "I love being on the ramp and that was the reason why I joined modeling. When I am on the ramp, it's just me. It feels like the world has stopped for me. It was a nice experience in Kolkata where I started my modeling career but Mumbai was way too big a modeling industry. Back in Kolkata, people knew me and were aware of my profession as a model. I had to start from scratch after coming to Mumbai. But coming here with no contacts was a big challenge. I used to search for production houses and go to auditions. I used to go for at least 5-6 auditions every day. So it was a tough life when I started here."

Lastly, on being asked if she always wanted to be an actor, she says," I always wanted to be on TV since my childhood. I didn't even know what acting was back then. I went for auditions with no plans and after coming to Mumbai, I attended a few workshops, and then I decided to be an actor. The web series Hello Mini gave me the platform I wanted to showcase my talent and then I finally decided to go ahead with that."