When Neha Marda appeared on Shark Tank India Season 5 earlier this year, viewers saw a different side of the actor. Best known as Gehna from Balika Vadhu, she entered the tank not as a performer but as an entrepreneur pitching her alum-based underarm roll-on brand, Phitku.Looking back, the experience reminded her of the early days of her acting career, when she had to learn everything on the job. She shares, “It felt like being a newcomer again. Even as an actor, I was directly on set as a heroine. I hadn’t learnt acting then. I learnt it while working. Similarly, I don’t know what it means to run a business or how to handle numbers and operations. But the journey is beautiful and I am already in the middle of the river. I am learning business from the best, my brother. I am being the voice of the brand. Tab acting seekh lee thi, ab business seekh loongi. I understand that building a business takes time, just like acting did.”
The idea for Phitku emerged from a deeply personal experience after the birth of her daughter. She says, “This is a venture I founded myself and I am the reason behind it. Post my pregnancy, I felt immense discomfort with my body odour. I was feeding my daughter then, so I started looking for organic products in the market. But nothing helped. Even after my feeding period ended, I tried several options, organic and chemical-based, but for almost a year nothing worked.”The issue soon began affecting her confidence. She shares, “My confidence had taken a hit. I would hug people and dance confidently. Hug karna toh band hi kar diya tha maine. I would keep checking myself and masking the smell. Another concern followed soon after. I also noticed my underarms getting pigmented and dark, which was another blow to my confidence. As an actor you have to wear sleeveless clothes as well.”That was when she turned to her brother, who began researching solutions. She says, “I spoke to my brother and he started researching extensively. That’s how we reached the point of creating this brand. Along with solving my problem, I wanted people dealing with the same issue to regain their confidence.”Despite her long career in television, pitching the product on Shark Tank India was intimidating. She shares, “Presenting myself as a businesswoman and pitching my product was a proud moment. I was extremely scared and nervous. In fact, I felt I had prepared for this more seriously than I did for my Class 10 and 12 board exams.”She acknowledges that her visibility as an actor may have helped the brand initially. “The initial sales may have been influenced by my celebrity association. Being an actor, usne Phitku ke liye darwaaze khole zaroor hain. But keeping that door open is something Phitku has done on its own. At this point, I am more involved in communicating with my customers, something that I am good at. If your intentions are right, you are not scared of losing anything because we are not selling. We are sharing,” she concludes.
