Becoming Pratibha Ranta: Where The Heart Finds Home

Some faces draw you in; some stories stay with you. But Pratibha Ranta offers something rarer—a sense of emotional familiarity, as if you’ve known her long before she appeared on your screen. Perhaps it’s the softness she carries from her mountain childhood, or the steel she has forged in the city… Or the way she speaks of love and belonging with a sincerity that feels almost old-world. In an industry that often rewards noise, she is a presence built on intention. From the mountains of Himachal to the urgent, demanding pace of Mumbai, her journey is anchored in a rare emotional clarity—the ability to look inward even as the world looks at her. Her performances carry this same honesty: measured, textured, and quietly powerful, shaped by a childhood that taught her resilience she’s still learning to unfold.

“When I look back at the girl who left Himachal to pursue a dream in Mumbai, it’s the fear of comfort that I’ve left behind,” Pratibha reflects. “Otherwise, I’m still that Pahadi girl with all the values and dreams that make me, me. The younger Pratibha was excited about building a life on her own. Now, when I look back, after building a life that I had wished for, that little girl looks at me with a beaming smile!” It is a smile that has survived auditions, setbacks, and reinventions, but also one that first flickered to life long before she knew what those words meant. “Ever since I was a little girl, I have felt inclined to be in front of the camera. I used to participate in dance competitions as a child, and that ignited the my dream to be an actor.” Pratibha tells us that the current version of her is largely shaped by work…and love.

But another important theme in her life is the idea of home—it features constantly in the choices she makes, in the way she dresses, and in the tenderness with which she envisions her future. As she steps into the bridal looks for Manifest’s destination wedding special, she shares that “I actually feel like a bride!”. She adds, “It feels like a dream, honestly. And as I wear these beautiful, couture pieces, I not only envision myself as the bride, but more importantly, as someone who balances work and builds a future as she steps into another role—of a wife. I wish to work hard and strive to lead a balanced life as a wife…hopefully someday.”

Pratibha’s style mirrors that same openness to possibility. “I believe, over time, I’ve become more experimental. I don’t gravitate towards a particular style, I like trying different kinds of clothes as they speak to my personality and my moods.” Yet she doesn’t chase fashion for the sake of it—she chases feeling. “For me, comfort comes first, along with nostalgia and emotional resonance. During our shoot, I remember one particular moment that reminded me of my Himachali roots—the JJ Valaya lehenga with the blue headpiece. I’m glad we could incorporate a little bit of Himachal into the editorial.” 

And then there is love—the most instinctive, yet the most deliberate feeling for her. “For me, love is to find home in a person. A space where you can grow, fall, get up, and move again. Whether it’s being vulnerable, trusting someone, or even falling back…that one person should fulfil the meaning of love and home for me.”

It is no surprise then that the wedding ceremony she imagines for herself is intimate, rooted, unhurried. “If you ask me what an ‘authentic, Pratibha-style wedding look’ would be, I’d say it’s my grandmother’s sari and family jewels…with only people closest to me in attendance,” she smiles. Her bridal aesthetic is not about ornamentation; it’s about meaning. “I want it to be minimal and memorable to the person I am marrying and to my hometown. For my big day, I would love to showcase where I am from, where I belong. I wish to pay tribute to my cultural roots by choosing a traditional wedding joda [outfit], one that speaks to me and to the one I'll marry and to me.”

The mountains return in her dream location: “A Pahadi wedding would feel like home. I was born and brought up there, and I have seen many chapters unfold there. So, I’d like to see another exciting chapter begin at the same place. And one tradition I'd definitely honour in my wedding is to wear a traditional Pahadi nath. I feel that will complete my look and will also represent my roots.” Pratibha leaves us with the emotion she imagines she’d feel when she finally walks towards the person waiting for her at the aisle… “I want to walk to someone who feels like I’ve found home in a person. I wish to feel the love between us, the joy of finding the one person we all wait for and dream of a brighter future with.”

Photographs by Vaishnav Praveen of The House of Pixels; Styling by Who Wore What When; Hair: Marcelo Pedrozo at Toabh Creatives; Make-up: Riviera Lynn at The Artist Project; Fashion Assistant: Shubham Jawanjal and Chaitanyaa Balwant; Bookings Editor: Varun Shah; Production: Studio Little Dumpling; Rugs: Hands Carpet