Authenticity is something Shehnaaz Gill doesn’t seem to compromise with. From being a reality TV favourite to making her way into films, she brings the same spontaneity that first made audiences connect. Now in her latest film, Ikk Kudi, Gill is trying her luck as a producer. “I have never strategised my life nor do I think before I speak; it just comes from the heart, and I guess it connects with people, and they like the raw and real side of me.”
Gill also plays a double role, that of a grandmother and granddaughter, in this cross-generational family entertainer. “It’s about finding your voice and making your choices. Here, a woman’s right to choose the man she wants to marry, irrespective of societal and parental conditioning. I resonated with both my characters since this is the story of every girl. Despite cultural differences, at the core, every woman is fighting the same battles,” she says.
Even the decision to turn producer for the film seems personal. “This story is so relatable that I decided to put in my own money so that it gets made,” she says.
A model and singer by profession, with several appearances in music videos, a career in Bollywood may not have been on Gill’s bingo card. However, after she entered the Bigg Boss house in 2019, her rise as a social media star didn’t necessarily translate into an immediate career breakthrough. It was then that she decided to take charge and steer her career in a different direction.
“Bigg Boss was destined for me. Who would have thought a girl from a village in Punjab would be on national TV? However, the show created a benchmark for me, and for the audience and the fans, I continue to be the Shehnaaz Gill from the show. All the love and support have come from that show. I needed to change the template for myself. People found resonance with me and my personal life. I then showcased my weight loss journey, and now I hope to inspire them through my work in movies.”
With blink-and-you-miss performances in films such as Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Thank You for Coming, Gill says she’s still finding her feet. “I am yet to make my mark as an actor, since I continue to be identified as a reality TV star. I am a decent and spontaneous performer, but I continue to understand and learn the craft. I want to articulate their voices through stories, as well as present something they have never seen before, whatever that may be, an intense love story which defies all boundaries and rewrites relationships, and makes people wonder, can there be a love like that?” she says.
From small-town Punjab to national fame, Gill’s story has been one of sheer determination. “Be so successful that your kids would one day be known as nepo kids,” she says.
She admits there’s been growth and a certain finesse in her personality over the past eight years. “I didn’t know any better when I came to Mumbai. I didn’t know the ways of the world or even how to present myself. Now I have a grasp, but being financially stable gives you the confidence. I had no money earlier, and would sustain myself on Rs 5,000. Now I know better. There is a hunger in me to do well, to earn and to support my family and people as well as save, invest, and even present myself better now.”
Her next, Singh Vs Kaur 2, opposite Gippy Grewal, sees her in an entirely new avatar. Gill confesses that her future as a producer depends entirely on the performance of Ikk Kudi. “I need the audience to watch this film, and its success would determine my next steps. As of now, everything is hanging in the balance,” she says.