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Tomorrow, Today

Ishita Raj: Why Human Emotion Will Always Beat AI

07 May 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 9.04 Shekhar Natarajan

I actually, I come from slums in India. I was very fortunate to go to one of the top schools.

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Chapter 2: How did Ishita Raj break into Bollywood without connections?

12.363 - 18.629 Ishita Raj

You just follow the beat of your heart and you follow what you think draws you.

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23.754 - 28.198 Shekhar Natarajan

I always believe there is no, there's nothing called an accident in life.

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28.583 - 29.464 Unknown

Yeah, it's written.

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Chapter 3: What role does self-belief play in achieving success?

29.764 - 37.454 Shekhar Natarajan

It's always written in preordain and contractually actually.

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37.474 - 46.585 Ishita Raj

The very fortunate thing happened overnight. It kind of happened overnight for me with Panchanama.

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46.605 - 56.076 Shekhar Natarajan

If he starts thinking fake is real and he loses all his cognitive ability to understand and like process things. What world am I going to leave my son?

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60.393 - 80.631 Ishita Raj

Measuring something and feeling something are two completely different things. The very fortunate can happen overnight. It kind of happened overnight for me with Panchnama.

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80.711 - 88.898 Shekhar Natarajan

You did not have a godfather. You did not have anyone in the industry. It takes a lot of conviction and self-belief. Where did that come from?

91.696 - 94.721 Ishita Raj

you follow what you think draws you.

94.741 - 112.108 Shekhar Natarajan

Today's guest represents the rare actor who entered Bollywood without a film legacy, without a safety net, to become a cult voice of an entire generation's conversation around love and relationship. Became part of the 100 crore club blockbuster.

112.128 - 123.9 Ishita Raj

I have signed the film and a month later, we are shooting. Everything was moving so fast, it was difficult to process. You become a little shy to tell people, what do you want to be? I want to be an actress. That looks vain. So I stopped saying it.

123.92 - 130.702 Shekhar Natarajan

Most people in life, when they think they are late, they usually quit. So what's that, like conviction and passion?

Chapter 4: What are the differences between chasing opportunities and aligning with your calling?

148.563 - 156.853 Ishita Raj

But measuring something and feeling something are two completely different things. I got tags of me sitting with my friend.

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161.727 - 194.543 Shekhar Natarajan

There are some careers which are launched, some are inherited and then there are journeys built quietly, consistently and entirely on self-belief. Today's guest represents the rare actor who entered Bollywood without a film legacy, without a safety net, and earned her place purely through her persistence.

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194.563 - 212.322 Shekhar Natarajan

Beginning her journey as a model before stepping into cinema, she made her debut with Pyaar Ka Panchnama, a film that went on to become a cult voice of an entire generation's conversation around love and relationship.

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213.112 - 239.524 Shekhar Natarajan

She returned stronger with Pyar Ka Panch Nama 2 and later became part of the 100 crore club blockbuster Sonu Ke Tittu Ki Sweety, a movement that transformed the recognition into nationwide impact. Over more than a decade in the industry, she has evolved from a newcomer finding space

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Chapter 5: How does Ishita define Angelic Intelligence?

239.69 - 251.962 Shekhar Natarajan

to an artist choosing reinvention, balancing glamour with discipline, and now stepping into a whole new chapter beyond acting and into storytelling.

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Chapter 6: How can we stay grounded in a fast-moving digital world?

253.063 - 295.952 Shekhar Natarajan

On Tomorrow Today with Shekhar Natarajan, we explore craft, identity, reinvention, and what no algorithm can replace. We welcome an actor who built a journey on one decision at a time. Please welcome Ishita Raj. Welcome to Tomorrow Today with Shekhar Natarajan. I have an incredible guest in the studio today, Ishita Raj. And as you all know, she's a celebrity Bollywood actress.

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296.674 - 315.062 Shekhar Natarajan

Hopefully one day a Bollywood actress too. And I'm going to actually spend a little bit of time talking about her. her passion, unpacking like, you know, what makes her who she is and also the role of technology and other things as we evolve into the future. Welcome to the show, Ishita.

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315.202 - 316.444 Unknown

Thank you. Thank you.

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317.145 - 343.397 Shekhar Natarajan

So let's start with the very basic question first. Like, you know, like when I started my career about 25 years ago, I actually, I come from slums in India. I was very fortunate. To go to one of the top schools and after graduating to the top school. I somehow miraculously landed in coke coca-cola and my first job The first six months I sucked I was horrible.

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343.898 - 360.939 Shekhar Natarajan

I could have been fired every day by the way, and I was praying I shouldn't get fired but when you look at the the Bollywood industry and Usually the star, the star kids and their kids and their grandchildren, they usually make it into the film industry.

Chapter 7: How does Ishita view the future of intelligence in society?

361.66 - 372.074 Shekhar Natarajan

And you did not have a godfather. You did not have anyone in the industry. It takes a lot of conviction and self-belief. Where did that come from?

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373.215 - 382.928 Ishita Raj

You know, when you're so young, you don't understand these terms like self-belief and conviction. You just follow the beat of your heart. And you follow what you believe.

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383.836 - 410.552 Ishita Raj

think draws you this drew me if i could understand anything i think so back in school if i could understand anything that i that interested me you know we gotta choose a lot of careers and when you're young you know as kids you have every semester you have a changing career once you have to you want to become a doctor stylist designer so much so

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411.005 - 416.579 Ishita Raj

But if I have a memory of wanting to be anything, I want to be an actor.

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417.782 - 420.187 Shekhar Natarajan

So when did that come? Like what time did it?

420.208 - 449.65 Ishita Raj

You know, I modeled like very briefly. Like not even brief. It was like hardly wanted to. There was an ad of Boomer which is a kid's ad. My dad, his agent, my dad is into business and his client was a model. His name was Ashish, I remember. So my mom was an enthusiast mom. And so he must have come to the office and my mom was there and they had a chat.

450.011 - 473.455 Ishita Raj

So my mom was like, yeah, I want to make my daughters also do, I have an elder sister also. So then we got a little portfolio done and... I did get one or two ads, but that was, again, very passe. You know, we just did it. Like, I did not even have any idea. So, mom, we used to have co-curricular activities. So, I remember I used to go for my swimming classes. I used to go for my skating classes.

473.535 - 496.488 Ishita Raj

I'm a national skater. I've skated during school time. You know, if there's any sport that you've religiously pursued. And we used to have early morning practices, me and my sister, that was skating. Roller skating. So this was also, but that was very brief. But after that, I think that fascinated me. Also, I think so everybody in India would agree.

496.548 - 524.054 Ishita Raj

You know, most of the kids want to be, are fascinated seeing actors. And they're more, they get inspired by actors. You see films, you see so much of TV. Yeah, so a part of me... secretly wanted it. But when you grow up, you become a little shy to tell people, what do you want to be? I want to be an actress. That looks vain. So I stopped saying it. My family knew that I had interest in it.

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