Soon after her debut in Laapataa Ladies, Bollywood actress Pratibha Ranta took on the Netflix film Accused, directed by Anubhuti Kashyap. The project explored trust within a complicated relationship and marked a shift to darker, intimate drama for the actor.

Ranta had chosen Accused despite concerns about the film’s challenging subject. “So many people said, ‘Are you sure you want to do a film like this? It’s a big risk.’ But I wanted to give it a shot and be in a space where I can differentiate myself as an artiste. I didn’t want to repeat myself. It felt right,” she said.

The film centered on a lesbian couple whose relationship faced tension after one partner faced sexual harassment accusations at work. The story examined how loyalty and trust changed under pressure, testing the bond between the characters.

Following the success of Laapataa Ladies, Ranta received several scripts but found most of them unsuitable. She said, “Oh my God, I think I am able to feel myself in this space,” reflecting her connection with the character in Accused.

Earlier, she had appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s streaming series Heeramandi. After Accused, she joined Nikkhil Advani’s Amazon Prime series The Revolutionaries, showing a clear pattern of choosing varied roles across platforms.

Ranta described the environment on the Accused set as focused and calm. “During shooting, there was silence on set. Nobody was shouting and it was so rare to see that!” she said. The setting helped her navigate the emotional complexity of her role.

Her collaboration with Konkona Sen Sharma proved influential. “I remember being nervous to meet her. She gave me so much space as an artiste to perform; it helped me. After pack-up, she’d be like, let’s go for a walk. I felt it helped us understand each other better and develop comfort, which showed on screen. A secure actor always makes sure that the co-actor also feels safe,” Ranta explained.

The actress noted that Accused focused on loyalty under doubt. “When you love somebody, you give them the benefit of doubt. It’s not easy to instantly believe they can do some wrong,” she said. “You don’t want to give up on them, want to be there till the extreme end.”

From Laapataa Ladies to Heeramandi, Accused, and The Revolutionaries, Ranta consistently chose projects that challenged her and explored relationships and inner conflict.