“It’s a good day… sundar dinn hai.” 40 seconds into it, there’s already something about Wamiqa’s aura that’s beginning to shine a positive light in the room. In these times when many of our conversations start with complaining about our jobs, lifestyles and energy prices; the actor’s grateful demeanour is like a breath of fresh air. She brings along with her a big bag full of dreams and an open-minded attitude to Khush’s set where she’s about to play bride.
As the all glammed-up Wamiqa slides into her first look of the day, I congratulate her on the upcoming film possibly to be named ‘Shiddat 2’. She thanks me and continues to share her experience on set with the crew. “It was an amazing experience as I’d been meaning to work with my co-star and the director for a while now.” Gabbi prepares us all for nothing but authenticity in front of and behind the camera, as she steps onto the regal balcony of the Rajasthali Resort. Her effortless stance in front of the camera makes me wonder if this is a result of the ‘Jab We Met’ star’s familiarity with the setting or simply a sense of comfort.
With Stars In Her Eyes
Jumping into the second half of the year with a head full of ambition and diary (almost) full of engagements, Gabbi is all set for busier times ahead. The actor plugs in a metaphor, unusual to this situation, of feeling “like a princess transforming into a queen.” It’s one that brides usually make when marrying the love of their life. Seems as though there’s almost a kind of happiness about the enlarging responsibilities and increasing pressure. “Now I think the comfort zone is far behind me and I’m really getting out of it. Well, I guess that’s what queens do isn’t it?” says the wide-eyed actor. Affected by her infectious curiosity, I too was now curious about when, where and how the dream of becoming an actor came into the picture.
WG: “Suhani, I don’t think I’ve ever dreamt about being anything other than an actor. Ever since I was a kid, my father has always told me that when I was merely 15 minutes old, I was already making faces and noises. It was truly unusual for a new-born baby to have so many expressions and such wide eyes. He says that is when he knew I was going to be a big dramebaaz. Also, my father is a writer, although not a film writer. He has always loved art, music and theatre. He familiarised us to this world and kept us connected to it. I have also learned kathak (a classic Indian dance form) and a little bit of singing.”
It doesn’t take long to realise that Gabbi’s free-spiritedness has a sense of nonchalance to it. “I was raised with no limitations, and so I know no bounds. You know sometimes actors are like ‘my parents won’t like if I do this’ on screen. This thought has never crossed my mind because of the freedom I was raised with. I know no matter what I do they will be proud, and they are proud.”
Breaking Into The Industry
SL: “This opens up a lot door for you, starting off in the industry with an open mind. How did you first enter the film industry and what was your big break?”
WG: “I’ve had many breaks. And I keep getting many breaks. I love that, for me, it was never like one thing happened and that changed my life overnight. So many things kept happening and I love it like that. My journey so far has been beautiful and I’ve been lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time. I’ve learnt a lot of things in Bombay. I believe that half of my upbringing was done by my parents and the other half of it, as an adult has been done by Bombay. Here, egos are quickly crushed and you have to build everything back up from the ground. Still, I wouldn’t say it’s hard because nowhere else can give you what this city can give. I come from Chandigarh, a union territory where the environment and relationships among people are very different.”
SL: “So then how different has working in Bombay’s film industry been for you versus working in Chandigarh and other industries?”
WG: “I’ve loved every single one of them. I have had good and bad experience everywhere. I do consider how empathetic the people I’m working with are and how good they are because I want to have a good experience at the end. In my professional experience, the Punjabi film industry still has a long way to go in terms of making more sensible stories. The kind of artists that have been in Punjab are beautiful, and this should reflect in their movies too. It’s all about the people you are working with. There haven’t been any industry-based differences really.
Coming in hot, when asked about the stars she’d like to work with on set, Gabbi asks me to brace myself for an interesting one. It’s controversial, diverse and rightfully ambitious for the actor in the making.
WG: “Kangana Ranaut, Tabu ji, Manoj Bajpayee, Hrithik Roshan… because I’ve been watching these stars (on the screen) since I was a teenager. It feels like I’ve had a long relationship with these artists. I watch their films and instantly get nervous imagining myself playing a role in them. Slowly and steadily, I am working on my craft because these actors have really inspired me. I’ve been a big ‘Devdas’ fan… so I’d love to work on something along those lines with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I have always dreamt of being a ‘tawaif’, like how Madhuri Dixit was in that film.”
Love, Language and More
Amidst the talk of the future and the past, I tell the actor about a podcast I recently listened to that claimed ‘conversing your thought in your native language is easier than in your secondary language.’ She takes a second to process my attempt to lighten things up and proceeds to talk about her multi-lingual schooling.
WG: “That is absolutely true. When I was in Chandigarh, the languages we spoke in at school were English and Hindi but we spoke in Punjabi at home. And it’s the same since I’ve moved to this city. Punjabi, however, was the first language I was ever introduced to. So, whenever I am angry or feeling strongly about something, naturally it is the first language I jump to. When it comes to dating, if you date someone whose mother tongue is not the same as you, you will go through a whole different experience. And that’s where I learnt to express myself more efficiently in other languages.”
The conversation concluded with a gorgeous Rajathani sunset as I wished the actor success for her upcoming releases and the year ahead.
