While Chalotra is only in the beginning of her career, she seems predestined to follow in Emilia Clarke’s footsteps to global stardom thanks to The Witcher, which has been renewed for a third season. Here’s everything you need to know about the 25-year-old starlet.

1. She went to a fancy school

Born to an Indian father and a British mum, Chalotra enrolled at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) at 18, before joining the prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where its notable alumni include Daniel Craig, Michelle Dockery, Lily James and Ewan McGregor. As she juggled through school and studies, she also appeared on stage in Matthew Dunster’s Much Ado About Nothing and then landed a lead role as Jyoti in The Village at the inaugural production at Theatre Royal Stratford East (also in 2018), for which she received a rave review from The Guardian calling her work “compelling”.

2. She is a self-confessed people watcher

In an interview with Vogue India, Chalotra confessed that she always knew she wanted to become an actress: “I think I was eight? We were having a family get-together and my father told me to sing an Indian song. And I knew, at that very moment, that I loved the attention.”

Her love for attention may have made her want to be an actress, but it’s likely her self-confessed status as an enthusiastic people watcher that made her a great one. “I’m obsessed with analysing people,” she told The Guardian recently, adding, “I don’t mind going to the pub on my own, or eating on my own – I just sit in the corner and watch people.”

Before landing her role in The Witcher, Chalotra also appeared on Netflix’s Wanderlust with Toni Collette and in the BBC’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The ABC Murders starring John Malkovich, where she played the role of Lily Marbury.

3. She called Henry Cavill is a “sweet man”

Before Chalotra became a “Googleable” actress, she had to audition for the role of Yennefer three times. Not only that, she also hadn’t read all of The Witcher novels in the beginning. “I walked into this blindly. And I think that helped me, because had I known of Yennefer being such an iconic character and having a huge fan base, I would’ve overthought every choice I made in that audition room,” she told Vogue India.

More conservative factions of the fantasy fan base were also initially sceptical when an actor of colour was chosen to play Yennefer – who is white in the novel. Chalotra received online backlash early on and decided to stay off social media. “I wanted to allow the character to evolve organically, without any pressure, and I know that the only way to do that was to shut off my social media,” she added.

When asked about working with superstar Cavill, Chalotra has nothing but praise. “He’s a very sweet man – and the best person I could have worked with in this role – the enthusiasm and love he brings for The Witcher is always inspiring,” she told Elle Australia.

4. She used lockdown to make an inspiring podcast

Apart from The Witcher, Chalotra will be joining in the upcoming animation Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas with stars like Vanessa Hudgens and Joe Manganiello. Outside television shows, she had also lent her voice for BBC Sounds’ gripping podcast called The Cipher with Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Chance Perdomo – the podcast has earned sterling feedback. “We were able to do something during the lockdown and for it to be so appreciated I’m really glad we’ve had that effect on people,” Chalotra told NME.

5. Is she dating Josh Dylan?

If social media is any indication, then Chalotra’s overnight stardom has skyrocketed her Instagram followers to more than a million. While everyone is curious to know more about the young star, the reclusive actress has stuck to her earlier mantra and posted just about enough to satisfy, without getting uncomfortable. She also rarely discusses her dating life, but it is believed that she is dating fellow British actor Josh Dylan. The two often post each other’s pictures on Instagram and Dylan was also her plus one for The Witcher’s season two premiere in London.

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