![\"What](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-125954107,imgsize-64896,width-400,resizemode-4\/image.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe film industry is built on constant motion\u2014projects announced and shelved, applause that comes late, criticism that comes early, and personal lives unfolding quietly in the background. As 2025 nears its end, several actors and artists find themselves looking inward, not just at what they achieved, but at what the year taught them emotionally, spiritually, and personally.From gratitude and faith to boundaries, grief, and clarity, these reflections reveal how growth often happens away from the spotlight. ETimes reached out to Mahaakshay (Mimoh) Chakraborty, Shenaz Treasury, Saumya Tandon, and Chandan K Anand, who opened up about the inner shifts that defined their year.<\/p>\n For Mahaakshay (Mimoh) Chakraborty, the year wasn\u2019t about confronting a fear or trigger\u2014it was about arriving at something gentler but deeper. A shift that many speak about, but few truly feel, finally landed.\u201cI think it was the other way around. It was not negative. It was very positive. I became very, very grateful this year. It’s not just a saying; I think it’s a prayer. If the only prayer you say is \u2018thank you,\u2019 it’s enough.\u201dHe reflected that this year brought him a clearer understanding of what gratitude truly means. With the release of his Netflix series Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, he felt deeply fortunate to be part of Neeraj Pandey\u2019s production house and to receive an impactful role, while being embraced warmly by audiences. Around the same time, he also wrapped up Haunted 2 with Vikram Bhatt, adding to his sense of professional fulfilment.That sense of fullness, he says, altered how he looks at setbacks and blessings alike\u2014choosing to focus on the one good thing instead of the nine that feel wrong.\u201cThat’s why I think the greatest change in my life was that I kept saying that one should be grateful, but for the first time in my life, I actually felt what it meant to be grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n For Shenaz Treasury, the realisation was sharper, more uncomfortable, and long overdue. The year forced her to confront a pattern she had lived with quietly for years.\u201cThis year I became aware of a pattern I had been ignoring for years. I realised how quickly I slip into caretaking and over-giving when I love someone. I confuse intensity with intimacy. I confuse chaos with connection.\u201dNaming the pattern brought pain\u2014but also freedom. For Shenaz, awareness meant reclaiming the right to peace.\u201cIt showed me that I am allowed to choose peace. I am allowed to walk away from anything that makes my nervous system feel unsafe.\u201d<\/p>\n Saumya Tandon\u2019s year unfolded like a reminder of timing\u2014how disappointment can sometimes be protection in disguise. A project she was fully locked into fell apart just days before shooting, leaving her questioning the industry\u2019s uncertainty and her own path.\u201cThis year was actually a very beautiful year for me because I saw the highs and lows together. This year I was supposed to shoot for a project on an OTT platform for which I was locked two months ago. The script was shared with me, the signing amount was given to me, the clothes were made for me, and rehearsals also happened. And just a week before shooting, they changed the entire cast, the director, and the writer of the show. And I was very disappointed. I just thought to myself, why would any platform do something so silly as to choose somebody\u2014not just me but the entire cast\u2014after auditioning and being very sure of them, and even the director and the writer?\u201dWhat initially felt like bad luck later revealed itself as redirection.\u201cAnd then they changed everything just a week before. How unsure and silly can that be? And then I just thought to myself, maybe this is bad luck, a bad year for me. And then suddenly Dhurandhar happened, and another film that I’m doing happened. And Dhurandhar just became the best film to start again with after my deliberate break that I had taken because I wanted to transition. And I thought to myself, God knew best. I had to be with people who knew what they were trying to do. I don’t think that show would have been the right place or a good place for me to work because, in a show or an environment where the makers don’t know what they want in their lives, it’s not a place for me to start or come back with something again. And I just know now that sometimes setbacks\u2014this was not my failure\u2014are good for you in the larger perspective. So this year, it was that setback which, in hindsight, I feel was the best thing that happened.\u201d<\/p>\n For Chandan K Anand, emotional awareness has always been intertwined with his craft. He speaks of emotions not as something to avoid, but something to move through repeatedly.\u201cBeing an actor, I deal with emotions more closely, and we relive certain emotions again and again and find ourselves in a trap. But we have to go through them and start cherishing them because I am in the business of tapping painful emotions again and again to create roles which are close to it.\u201dYet, for him, that vulnerability is also where art begins.<\/p>\n When the noise grows louder\u2014online opinions, work pressure, expectations\u2014each of them has learned to reset differently.For Mimoh, the key has been learning mental discipline through compartmentalisation. A simple yet powerful exercise allows him to detach from negativity before it consumes him.\u201cIt’s very, very important for an actor, and even an individual human being, to compartmentalise everything. We actors and people of the film fraternity go through a lot of hate, negative comments, and trolling, whatever we do. So we need to compartmentalise ourselves to know what is valid and what is not. I do the 10-minute rule.\u201dThat practice, he says, has helped him train his mind to separate what matters from what doesn\u2019t.\u201cFor me, what the 10-minute rule is: let\u2019s say if I read a comment online, and if it’s negativity towards my film, or something I did, or somebody just hating on me, I ask myself, \u2018Mimoh, you’re feeling hurt and angry now\u2014will you feel hurt and angry 10 minutes later when you’re doing something else in your life?\u2019 And the answer is no. And that’s how I completely diminish the fact of whether this is important for me or not. You need to train your mind to do that.\u201d\u201cIt’s not easy. It’s very, very easy to get drowned by the loudness, opinions, and negativity. But if you focus on the things that matter, and if you stay attuned to your emotions\u2014why am I feeling happy, why am I feeling low\u2014you need to keep asking yourself these questions. The more you ask them, the more you can compartmentalise yourself. It takes a lot of practice.\u201d<\/p>\n Shenaz\u2019s reset is rooted in the physical world\u2014nature, movement, and silence.\u201cI learned that my reset comes from nature and movement. Working out. Long swims. Walks. Mountains. Silence. I discovered that I need space to breathe before I can be creative. I need to feel grounded to heal.\u201d<\/p>\n For Saumya, stepping away from constant work invited judgment\u2014but also clarity. Leaving a popular show led to speculation, assumptions, and unsolicited opinions.\u201cThere were a lot of projects coming my way after Bhabhiji that I was not convinced about. I just thought I wouldn’t want to do this kind of work or that kind of work because I’d already worked in the industry for 15, 16, or rather 17 years. I worked for different reasons earlier, but now I was very clear that I wanted to work in a certain kind of environment, with projects and people I wanted to work with. And that made people question me a lot. They asked why I left a show that was high-paying and successful, why I chose to be at home. There were many opinions\u2014some said it was because I became a mother, some said it was a personal problem, others said I didn\u2019t get any work.\u201dChoosing herself required tuning everyone else out.\u201cI just realised that when you have to follow your own heart and listen to your own gut, you have to cut out the voices of the world. You have to have blinders in your life and not listen to anybody\u2019s opinion about you because you know what you want, and what you want is best for you.\u201d<\/p>\n Chandan\u2019s emotional reset is inseparable from loss. Losing both parents left him questioning who he was creating for.\u201cI lost my mother when I was in school, and my father passed away in 2018. When my father left for his heavenly abode, I felt as if a shirt was hanging with one side supported by a hanger, and after his demise, I was shattered\u2014as if the shirt had fallen to the ground, crumbled. The biggest shock was that they were my first audience and genuine critics. For whom will I work now?\u201dHealing, for him, came slowly\u2014through accepting that his craft itself had to become home.\u201cIt took almost five years to decipher that my father is gone and that I need to love my craft as it is my life now. Yes, it took time, but I am back with full passion and love for my craft as an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n For Mimoh, gratitude has become a shield against emotional resurfacing. Even small moments\u2014a meal, a spontaneous trip\u2014hold meaning.\u201cIt’s about just being grateful. I think that’s my go-to mantra; that is what I believe in, and I see things to be grateful for. It’s not that I am forcing myself to do this. I can see things, even the smallest, minutest things. It can be just having vada pav after, like, six days of working hard and having a cheat day of a vada pav. It can be that also. Or it can be just going on a spontaneous trip with the wife and friends, you know, to Bali. Even that can be something to be grateful about. There are so many things in life\u2014if we focus on them, they multiply. Gratitude also multiplies. They say, right, that if you focus on a negative thing, it becomes like a black hole, but the same thing goes with a positive thing. The more you focus on the positive, the more it becomes a white hole. The more you radiate that gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n Shenaz, on the other hand, found herself revisiting a relationship where safety slowly disappeared.\u201cThis year, an old wound resurfaced from a relationship where I slowly stopped feeling emotionally safe. And I wondered why I stayed. Maybe it was an old fear of being single again. I kept hoping things would change, and letting go of that hope was the hardest part.\u201dLetting go of hope, she says, was the hardest\u2014and most healing\u2014part.\u201cThe real closure came when I finally saw the situation clearly. It taught me that love should never make you feel terrified or scared and afraid to speak your truth. And that walking away with grace is sometimes the most powerful form of healing.\u201d<\/p>\n Saumya speaks candidly about how slowing down finally allowed her to confront suppressed emotions she hadn\u2019t had time to face before.\u201cI feel that sometimes when you are very busy in your life, there are a lot of unresolved issues or emotional baggage which you are not able to confront and deal with. So this little time that I got in between, where I was not shooting like a machine or working like a maniac\u2014which is what was happening for many years that I’ve been in this industry\u2014I got time with myself to actually face myself, with a lot of emotions which were suppressed and that I couldn’t deal with or didn’t have time to deal with. And the last year specifically actually went into dealing with it. And this year was kind of when I was coming to terms with where my life is transitioning, what is happening. And I feel that as an artist, or maybe as other people, you need a lot of this \u2018me time\u2019 to take care of your mental health or your unresolved issues. And I think this little break did wonders for me because it not only improved my clarity of thought, but it also helped me resolve many other emotional things which I think were pending to be addressed.\u201d<\/p>\n Chandan views the year as one of acceptance\u2014understanding that life\u2019s unpredictability doesn\u2019t diminish its value.\u201cThis was a calm year, as I am prepared for all ups and downs and realising life is a gift and whatever is happening, eventually everything will be fine. You just need to make your mind, your vision, your journey, your health\u2014a beautiful one. It\u2019s your home. It needs to be cleared every day with love, good food, good thoughts, good friends, and family.\u201d<\/p>\n When plans don\u2019t work out, Mimoh turns to faith\u2014faith in timing, the universe, and his own readiness.\u201cThe world will always expect you to be what they want you to be. Trust me, I am a gamer. So I stream on Twitch, Kik, and YouTube. I do live streaming. I interact with my fans. And everybody has an opinion. They all love me. Some don’t\u2014let me correct that. Nine out of ten come with love. One comes just to hate on me. But everybody has an opinion. Regarding Haunted, everybody says, okay, release the songs. No, then release the trailer. Then reshoot the movie. Then cut this scene. And then add that editing. Bring this person back. Deduct that person. Everybody has an opinion. And I respect everybody’s opinion. But in the end, what drives me is my own opinion. I know what matters to me. I know what will be the end result. I know what will be good for me and what will not be good for me.\u201cAnd when things don’t work out for one person, I trust the timing of the universe. I am very spiritual that way. I believe that if something isn\u2019t happening now, it\u2019s because the universe has something better planned for you. They say the universe is absolutely perfect in what it does. It’s absolutely perfect. You can see the sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the galaxy\u2014the universe. It’s all just so perfect. Earth formed out of perfection. We want to be perfect, but we are not perfect. The universe is perfect. The universe does everything attuned to its doing because it is doing it for your betterment.\u201cEarlier, if something didn\u2019t happen, I would be very disheartened. But now I\u2019m like, no, Mimoh\u2014the universe has a better plan for you. And I trust that.\u201dHis confidence today isn\u2019t rooted in impatience, but in trust.\u201cAnd because of that trust, I move forward. I keep going forward. I keep going ahead because I have that hope. From hope comes belief. From belief comes faith. And when faith is so strong, you become unstoppable. I believe in the beauty of my dreams. I know that my time will come. I know that there is a time and place for that. I’m a talented actor. I have a fierce attitude and force in me. I’m determined. I’m disciplined. I’m ready. And I know the universe will give it to me when the universe thinks I’m ready. That is the most important thing. I trust the timing. I don’t judge it. I don’t question it anymore. We always keep questioning\u2014\u2018I wanted that car, I didn\u2019t get it,\u2019 \u2018I wanted that project, I didn\u2019t get it.\u2019 No. It\u2019s the universe\u2019s timing. Trust it. Don\u2019t ever question the universe. Believe in it, and it will believe in you.\u201d<\/p>\n Shenaz learned to sit with sadness instead of escaping it.\u201cThis year, nothing went the way I imagined, and I had to learn how to live with sadness, discomfort, and disappointment without trying to rush past it. I sat with it. I let myself feel it. I was sad for months.\u201dAcceptance, she says, became her strength.\u201cOnly by going through it was I able to come out of it. And the moment I finally let go of the hope and trying to make the relationship work, I felt a quiet sense of peace. It taught me that acceptance was the strength.\u201d<\/p>\n For Saumya, clarity is her anchor. Knowing what she doesn\u2019t want has become just as important as knowing what she does.\u201cI feel I know exactly what I want in my life. Whether I will reach there or not, I do not know. But clarity of thought is half the battle won. I’m very clear that I don’t want to work with toxic people. I’m very clear that I don’t want to work only for money. I’m very clear that I don’t want to work for instant fame. I want to improve myself as an actor. I want to learn. I consider myself a lifelong student. An artist is a lifelong student. I don’t really care about money and fame that much because I think that follows.\u201cAll I want is to be the best version of myself, be in an environment which helps me flower, or at least makes me learn to become a better artist. I want to work with people who inspire me. I want to wake up every morning feeling excited to go to work. The day that stops happening is the day I realise this is not the right workplace for me. I’m listening to my inner voice so clearly these days that it doesn’t really matter where I reach or how fast I get there. I have the blinders, and I know exactly what I want. Therefore, I will say I\u2019m in a very good space in life.\u201d<\/p>\n And for Chandan, life\u2019s many losses have reinforced one belief above all else\u2014self-worth.\u201cI have gone through all kinds of ups and downs\u2014from losing friends, family, money, and health. I have realised it\u2019s part of life. Be who you are. If you feel like crying, cry. If you feel like travelling, travel. If you feel like doing a cheat meal\u2014eat. The painful time will go for sure, and then you will have to be in real life. Your work will give you life, will make you alive, and will give you love, money, fame, friends, and audiences as a new family. And they will love you for your amazing work. Yes, I have surpassed all that, and now I have to achieve my goals\u2014for myself and everyone who loves me. Always keep a high image and high thoughts for yourself. I believe I am a national treasure, and I always think and work towards becoming one.\u201dAs these voices reveal, growth rarely announces itself loudly. Sometimes it arrives as gratitude, sometimes as boundaries, sometimes as quiet acceptance. But together, these reflections show that learning\u2014real learning\u2014often happens when the cameras are off and the work turns inward.<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The film industry is built on constant motion\u2014projects announced and shelved, applause that comes late, criticism that comes early, and personal lives…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68716,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[77835,6959,77837,77838,77839,77834,77836,49582,49583,6952],"class_list":["post-68715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-41","tag-chandan-k-anand","tag-etimes","tag-mahaakshay","tag-mahaakshay-chakraborty","tag-mahaakshay-mimoh-chakraborty","tag-mimoh","tag-saumya-tandon","tag-shenaz","tag-shenaz-treasury","tag-times-of-india"],"yoast_head":"\nLearning gratitude, choosing peace, and trusting the unseen<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Mahaakshay (Mimoh) Chakraborty<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Saumya Tandon<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"saumyas_world__1760014356_3739593925607300941_2244522069\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-23456,msid-125954118\/saumyas-world-1760014356-3739593925607300941-2244522069.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nChandan K Anand<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Finding emotional limits in a loud world<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Mahaakshay (Mimoh) Chakraborty<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"mimohchakraborty_1764592200_3777996023860900180_45537968754\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-23456,msid-125954115\/mimohchakraborty-1764592200-3777996023860900180-45537968754.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nShenaz Treasury<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Saumya Tandon<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Chandan K Anand<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"chandankanand_1756808519_3712701411239925229_1695860205\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-23456,msid-125954120\/chandankanand-1756808519-3712701411239925229-1695860205.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nMaking peace with old wounds<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Mahaakshay (Mimoh) Chakraborty<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Shenaz Treasury<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"WhatsApp](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-23456,msid-125954122\/whatsapp-image-2025-12-14-at-01.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nSaumya Tandon<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Chandan K Anand<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Letting go of expectations, holding onto belief<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
Mahaakshay (Mimoh) Chakraborty<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"mimohchakraborty_1752910200_3679319925085026538_45537968754\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-23456,msid-125954128\/mimohchakraborty-1752910200-3679319925085026538-45537968754.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nShenaz Treasury<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"shenaz-treasury-114958518-16x9_0\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-23456,msid-125954139\/shenaz-treasury-114958518-16x9-0.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nSaumya Tandon<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"saumyas_world__1762059791_3756752271686778985_2244522069\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-23456,msid-125954134\/saumyas-world-1762059791-3756752271686778985-2244522069.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nChandan K Anand<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
![\"chandankanand_1753735690_3686924650854302045_1695860205\"](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-23456,msid-125954137\/chandankanand-1753735690-3686924650854302045-1695860205.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n