Aaditi Pohankar says she pursued a chance to work with Imtiaz Ali, showed him a moving portfolio, and was invited to audition for She. Her account describes a short preparation window and an audition that tested both a scene and nonverbal expression. The sequence comes from her interviews, rather than a production account independently confirmed by the filmmakers.
How Pohankar first approached Imtiaz Ali
In a 2020 interview with Scroll.in, Pohankar recalled meeting Ali at a 2018 screening of Laila Majnu. She asked him to watch her Vimeo showreel and followed up the next day. “I asked him to check my showreel on Vimeo, and he said he would,” she said. “The next day. I messaged him to see if he had, and but he said he hadn’t.”
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
S.W.A.T. - The Complete Series (DVD) | Buy on Amazon |
She said Ali watched it later and contacted her to meet at short notice. He brought the She screenplay, co-written by Ali and Divya Johry, and she had two days to prepare for the audition, according to the Scroll interview.
Why she made a moving portfolio
Pohankar’s later interviews add context to her efforts to get Ali’s attention. In a 2022 Filmfare interview, she said she kept approaching him and created a moving portfolio because she wanted to show emotion rather than depend on still photographs. She described the audition as informal: “I had an informal audition but it was not more lines it was mostly emotions.”
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →#1 Best Overall
- S.W.A.T. - The Complete Series
- Brand New: An item that has never been opened or removed from the manufacturer’s sealing (if applicable). Item is in original shrink wrap (if applicable). See the seller's listing for full details.
- Format DVD
- Region Code 1 (US, Canada)
- Stars: Steve Forrest, Robert Urich, Rod Perry
In a separate 2022 account, Cinema Express reported that she recalled first meeting Ali at Prithvi Theatre and asking him for work. She said she sent him a production reel, that he initially thought she was young for the role, and that he then asked her to audition looking messy. The interviews emphasize different parts of her pursuit and should be read as her recollections, not as a single independently documented production timeline.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the audition asked her to do
Pohankar told Scroll she performed the opening scene of the series. The audition also included a more demanding exercise: she had to convey seduction without speaking or moving close to Ali, who stood in for the other character. She said she drew on similar exercises from workshops with theatre director Satyadev Dubey.
She connected her theatre workshops and athletics background to her practice and expressive work. Looking back on the audition, she said, “I picked up the tone for the character in the audition itself.” In her telling, the test was not simply about memorizing lines: it asked her to communicate a character’s emotional register through both performance and restraint.
From audition to Bhumika
In She, Pohankar plays Bhumika, a Mumbai police constable drawn into an undercover honeytrap operation targeting a drug bust, as described by Scroll and The Quint. That premise gives context to the range of the audition, but it is distinct from Pohankar’s account of what Ali asked her to perform.
Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchWindows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallThe Week reported that Pohankar said she received a confirmation call within a week of her screen test. She did not give an exact date for that call in the reported account.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
