Vidya Malvade Goes Back To College

They say it’s never too late to learn and pursue your dreams, and to show you how, is the radiant Vidya Malavade as Zeenat Karim in Netflix’s upcoming teen romance, Mismatched. Zeenat, older than her peers, tries everything to be accepted into the IT crowd in college. We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

Vidya plays the role of a student who, very bravely, goes back to college in her 40s. A widow from Lucknow, Zeenat is considerably older than her classmates and, naturally, feels out of place. But her demeanor is kind and warm, and she makes every effort to befriend even the most dour of the teenagers. 

Speaking about slipping into the role of Zeenat , Vidya said, “Mismatched is a story that many young people are currently living and one that will make older viewers nostalgic. College was a wonderful and a challenging time for all of us, and fitting in, finding your tribe was essential to the overall experience. I found Zeenat’s character to be warm and endearing and a bit clumsy as she tries to fit in. Honestly, she is so much like the real me. She is one character that is closest to who I really am, so playing this role felt like second nature. Plus working with this cast was a riot -- they’re all so talented and highly energetic that their drive rubbed off on me as well. In fact, they were quite besotted by the image of Vidya Sharma, the character I played in Chak De India. I hope, in some way, the character of Zeenat too will encourage some women to go back to college, if they so wish and follow their long lost dream.”