MUMBAI: Simran Budharup wanted to be a veterinary doctor, but ended up being an actress. She said, "I was studying to be a vet when this acting thing happened to me. I am a trained Bharatnatyam dancer also and I have also learnt hip-hop for some time. So during this hip hop class, a person, who was into acting, asked me to try my luck in it, which I was not sure of as I didn’t know the way to get there. So he shared with me the auditions details and I happily went and cracked a role in my second audition. It was for the TV show Parvarish season 2. I was so raw in that serial that when the director told me to give a reaction in my first scene, I asked one of my co-actors ki yeh reaction kya hota hai. I was clueless and dumb in my first show. But thankfully I have been blessed to work with some really fine actors. I heave learnt acting on the job."

The actress is presently seen in Pandya Store. So does she still practice her veterinary skills? "Yes! I love animals. I used to rescue birds and snakes. I am not scared of them at all. I had a friend who was into wildlife and he made me develop a love for snakes. And that is how I got into being a vet. I still rescue and look after animals, especially on the sets of my show. I know the basics of nursing. I now want to start an NGO which will look after rescued animals. This is my wish," she shared.

Her love for animals mended Simran’s relationship with her boyfriend Aashutosh Semwal, who is also an actor. "Ashutosh and I have been dating each other for the past three years. We went through a very difficult phase during the past two months, where we had stopped talking to each other. I don’t know woh breakup tha ki kya tha. We had adopted a dog together. So when we were not talking, his friend used to bring him near my building and I used to spend time with the pet. We both were co-parenting the pet. And during this co-parenting thing, we both came together again and now all our misunderstandings are sorted and we are going strong," she shares.

Credits: TOI