For many viewers, Tisca Chopra is still remembered for her performances in films such as Taare Zameen Par. But there is another side to her career that deserves attention: the work she has done behind the camera.

Over the years, Chopra has moved beyond acting into writing, producing and directing. It has not been a sudden change of direction. Her work in short films, particularly Chutney, offered an early glimpse of the stories she wanted to tell.

And with Saali Mohabbat, she has taken that interest into a new phase of her career.

In 2016, Chopra co-wrote and acted in Chutney, a short film that drew attention for its unsettling story and unexpected turns. It was an important project in her journey as a storyteller.

She followed it with Chhuri and Rubaru, continuing to explore writing and filmmaking alongside acting. These projects gave her the opportunity to be involved in more than just the performance. She could help shape the story, work through its details and take part in decisions that happen behind the scenes.

In an interview with The Indian Express, Chopra spoke about how closely she was involved in the making of her short films, from editing to creative decisions. For her, the experience was about understanding filmmaking as a whole, not simply adding another credit to her name.

Her first feature film as a director, Saali Mohabbat, marked a significant step.

The film stars Radhika Apte, Divyenndu and Anurag Kashyap, among others. Chopra co-wrote the screenplay with Sanjay Chopra and Namrata Shenoy. The film has since added another milestone to its journey, winning a Best Film award recently. It is an important moment for Chopra's first feature as a director, bringing further recognition to a project that marks a new chapter in her creative career.

The move to feature filmmaking was a natural progression from the work she had already been doing. She had written stories, worked on short films and developed an understanding of what happens beyond the camera. Directing gave her the opportunity to bring those parts together.

In conversations around the film, Chopra has spoken about the difference between acting and directing. Acting asks you to look inward; directing requires you to observe people, understand performances and bring different parts of a production together.

It is a different responsibility, and one she has now taken on.

What makes Chopra's journey interesting is not simply that she has tried different roles. It is that she has continued to build on the experience of one role while moving into another.

Acting gave her years of experience with scripts, characters and performances. Writing allowed her to develop stories of her own. Producing and directing brought her closer to the decisions that shape a film from the beginning.

Each role comes with a different set of responsibilities. Together, they give her a wider place in the filmmaking process.

That shift is worth paying attention to. An actor's career is often discussed through films, roles and screen appearances. Chopra's work offers another way to look at it: through the stories she chooses to create and the control she takes over how they are told.

With Saali Mohabbat, Tisca Chopra has added feature-film direction to a career that has already included acting, writing and producing.

It does not erase the actor audiences know. It adds another dimension to her work.

For TEP, that is the more interesting part of her story. Reinvention does not always mean leaving one identity behind. Sometimes, it means using what you have learnt to take on a bigger part in the work itself.

TEP Take

Tisca Chopra's journey is a reminder that a creative career does not have to stay within the role people first recognise you for. You can keep learning, take on new responsibilities and find new ways to tell the stories you believe in.