Erica Fernandes has opened up about her five-year break from television, revealing that building a business in Dubai gave her the financial stability and confidence to step away from acting and eventually return on her own terms.
The actor, who recently returned to television with 108 Base Hospital – Uri, said the unpredictable nature of entertainment work had made her reconsider her career path. After launching her own production and event management company, Celeste Media Film Production, in 2023, Fernandes said she no longer felt dependent on acting for financial security.
Her return, she explained, is now driven primarily by her love for the craft.
Erica Fernandes on returning to acting without financial pressure
Speaking to PTI, Erica said her business in Dubai gave her the confidence to take time away from the entertainment industry.
“I was confident to be away from the industry because I’ve my business over there (in Dubai). Now I can pick and choose what I want to do. I’m doing shows purely because of my love for acting,” she said.
For the actor, having another professional avenue provided a sense of stability at a time when television careers can be unpredictable.
She explained that performers do not necessarily work continuously throughout their careers, particularly when it comes to leading roles.
“So, I know that there is stability. Sometimes we don’t know how long we are going to sustain with the savings. Also, you don’t get to work every day in a leading role for years and in between shows, you have breaks,” Fernandes said.
According to her, the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic also encouraged her to think more seriously about financial security and life beyond acting.
“Hence, when COVID-19 happened, it made me think about a lot of such things,” she added.
Why Erica Fernandes moved to Dubai
Fernandes said the uncertainty surrounding work in the entertainment industry was one of the factors that influenced her decision to spend time in Dubai and develop a business there.
Rather than relying entirely on acting projects, she chose to build another professional platform.
In 2023, she launched Celeste Media Film Production, a production and event management company.
The business subsequently gave her greater freedom to decide which acting opportunities were worth pursuing.
That change in perspective appears to have influenced her approach to television as well. Instead of returning simply because she needed another acting project, Fernandes said she wanted a role that genuinely excited her.
Erica did not want to be typecast
Financial considerations were not the only reason behind her break.
Fernandes also said she was concerned about being repeatedly offered similar characters.
“I didn’t want to stick to doing the same thing and that is why I took that break as a lot of other things that were coming were in the same bracket,” she said.
The actor wanted to avoid being locked into a particular type of television role after becoming widely recognised through popular shows.
Her decision to wait appears to have paid off when 108 Base Hospital – Uri came along.
“When ‘108 Base Hospital – Uri’ came, I was like this is massive and it made sense for me to return to TV,” she said.
Why Erica said yes to 108 Base Hospital – Uri
In 108 Base Hospital – Uri, Fernandes plays Dr Major Naina, a trauma surgeon serving in the Indian Army.
The character and the show’s setting immediately appealed to her.
“Getting to wear this uniform, being army personnel, and being a surgeon, and all of that was intriguing. It never made me think twice. I was sold in the first place,” Fernandes said.
The actor also expressed excitement about performing action sequences as part of the military drama.
The role represents a significant departure from the kind of television characters with which Fernandes has been associated in the past.
What is 108 Base Hospital – Uri about?
Set against the backdrop of an Indian Army base hospital in Uri, the 30-episode series focuses on the medical personnel who work to save wounded soldiers.
The story follows doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals as they deal with emergencies and race against time to treat injured military personnel.
The series explores the contribution of medical teams whose work can determine whether wounded soldiers are able to return to their units or reunite with their families.
Alongside Erica Fernandes, the show features Gashmeer Mahajani, Nikkhil Khurana, Hiten Tejwani and Smita Bansal, among others.
Erica Fernandes’ television comeback after five years
Fernandes became a familiar face among Indian television audiences through shows including Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi and Kasautii Zindagii Kay.
Her performance in these series helped establish her as one of the recognisable actors on Hindi television.
However, she subsequently stepped away from the medium for several years.
With 108 Base Hospital – Uri, she has now returned to television after a gap of approximately five years.
Her latest comments suggest that the break was not simply a pause in her acting career but also a period in which she reassessed what she wanted professionally.
A comeback driven by choice, not necessity
Erica Fernandes’ return highlights a changing approach to career security within the entertainment industry.
By developing a business alongside acting, she said she gained the freedom to be selective about the projects she accepts.
That freedom became particularly important after she decided she did not want to repeatedly play characters that felt too similar.
Now, with a role that combines medicine, military service and action, Fernandes appears to have found the kind of challenge she was waiting for.
Her message is clear: after stepping away to build financial and professional independence, she has returned to acting because she wants to — not because she has to.
