India, Nov. 24 -- Actor Bhumika Chawla completes 25 years in the film industry this year, a milestone shaped across 62 films in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema. She looks back at her journey with gratitude, remembering how Mumbai became the foundation of her life and career. "Since the time I came to Mumbai, it has accepted me and made me what I am today," she says. She recalls arriving in the city as a 17-year-old, when advertisements and music videos defined the early 2000s: "From being that young girl to now having an 11-year-old son, it has been quite a journey."

Chawla reflects on how much regional cinema has transformed since she began working. "In those days it was not easy to work across regions the way it is today," she says. She...