Samridhii Shukla: Family Over Elaborate Birthday Plans
The Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai star reflects on Abhira's impact, the confidence it gave her, and why her ideal birthday is now a quiet family day.
For Samridhii Shukla, another birthday is less about grand plans and more about taking stock. The Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai actor, who plays lawyer Abhira Poddar on Star Plus, used the occasion to reflect on a year that reshaped how she sees family, confidence and self-worth.
The Abhira effect on her confidence
Abhira’s current track pairs her with Rohit Purohit’s Armaan Poddar, and viewers have kept the character close. Samridhii said that affection did more than validate the work; it changed how she sees herself as a performer.
“It has given me newfound confidence and so much unconditional love and appreciation,” she said.
She gave the audience credit for marking milestones that a daily television schedule can blur—whether the show completes 1,000 episodes, she completes three years in the role, or she takes home an award. The reminder to pause, she said, comes from them.
What the year taught her
If she had to compress the year into lessons, they would look like this:
- Family is the constant: “They are my biggest pillar of strength,” she said.
- She is tougher than she believed: Samridhii admitted she had doubted her own strength before this year.
- A small circle is enough: She now values a few people who genuinely want the best for her.
- Celebrate the quiet milestones: The audience has taught her to stop and acknowledge moments that routine can swallow.
Choosing family over fuss
Samridhii’s definition of success has also become more grounded. Today she measures it by how well she handles her professional responsibilities and does justice to the work. Her happiness, she said, lives in everyday comforts and dependable people.
That shift shows up most clearly in how she wants to celebrate. The actor said she once had elaborate expectations from her birthday—gifts, attention and being made to feel special. Now she would rather let the day unfold naturally with loved ones.
Her recent Diwali was proof. With no fixed plans, she stayed home with family and enjoyed her mother’s Kashmiri pulao, chole puri and basundi. That, she said, reinforced something important: a celebration does not need to be planned to be memorable. She also noted the pressure of the Instagram world, where every occasion can feel as if it needs to look perfect. For her, preserving authenticity matters more.
A birthday tied to Children’s Day
There is a nostalgic layer to her birthday: it falls on Children’s Day. Samridhii recalled that her father would bring her a red rose each year, a nod to the Chacha Nehru tradition, and tell her stories about freedom fighters. Her great-grandparents had taken part in the freedom struggle, and her great-grandfather served briefly as an MLA in Kanpur.
At school, she looked forward to the casual clothes and the chance to distribute candies, though the day often coincided with a holiday. Looking at the love that reaches her now, she said those missed celebrations feel more than compensated.
“What more could I ask for?” she said.
What comes next
Beyond television, Samridhii wants to explore digital media more actively. She hopes to create content and build a community where she can express herself, though she calls herself an introvert and knows it will take effort. The non-negotiable is that the work stays organic and authentic. She is not trying to show only one polished side of herself, she said, just slowly coming out of her shell.
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
The room talks
0 comments