October 19, 2025

Television actress Pavitra Punia, known for her sharp wit and talent, is now a thrilling wild card in ‘Reality Queens of the Jungle’ season 2. Starting with reality shows, Pavitra has earned love with her strong work ethic and passion. But did you know her name change was no ordinary decision? In a recent chat with Aajtak, Pavitra opened up about it. She said, “As children, we don't know what name our parents will give us. When I understood life, I felt that I needed to mature a bit. I started getting a lot of offers—for modelling, ads, etc. When my name was announced, it seemed like it would end before it even started, I realized this. According to me, personality matters. Looks don't matter. In such a situation, I felt that my name should not be light. I thought about this name. Let's keep it as Pavitra Punia. I am what I am, I am Pavitra.” That’s a pretty bold reason for a name makeover, right? Pavitra’s journey is no less exciting. From dreaming to be an IPS officer to becoming a reality queen, her story is full of surprises. She shared, “From an IPS officer to a reality queen, I've done mostly reality shows. My career began with a reality show. I won't mislead my audience, but I've never struggled. I've been blessed from the very beginning. I didn't even know I'd get into acting, because I always wanted to be an IPS officer. But things took a turn, and because of my height and face, I started getting modelling offers. It happened so suddenly, I didn't even realize it. One day, my eyes opened and I got my first show, starring opposite Siddharth Shukla. It was 2011. For me, it was luck by chance. I've always been blessed.” Pavitra’s family was not always thrilled about her glamorous world. She said, “As for my family, they never stopped me from anything. I come from a joint family, and no one loved me there because I was born a girl. I won't lie. I won't say my family pushed me to be a part of this industry and do good work. They didn't. They knew we weren't meant to be in this glamorous world. But deep down, if I failed in this industry, I knew I could return to my family. My family was my backbone; they gave me strength. I made a name for myself, did good work, and landed roles. My family was always there, they also told me to do what I wanted, and if I didn't want to, don't do it.” Wearing the villain’s shoes hasn’t been easy either. About playing negative roles, she said, “To be honest, yes, roles have a huge impact on your personal life. It depends on how people perceive you. The public doesn't have a problem with that. Your relatives and close ones have the most problems. But I'm not bothered by what others think. I do what I like. I do it in a way that I understand the consequences. Because I come from an old-fashioned family, I've always done things within limits. So, it didn't affect me that much. The rest of the world will comment.” What’s next for Pavitra? The actress made one thing clear: “I don't want to do films at all. From the beginning, I never thought I would do films. Coming to the silver screen has never been my dream. But yes, I have started OTT. I have 2-3 projects that will launch this year.” So fans, get ready to see Pavitra Punia rock the OTT platforms soon after dazzling us on reality TV!

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Tags: Pavitra punia, Reality queens of the jungle, Reality shows, Name change, Television actress, Ott projects,