With her big-screen Punjabi debut in Shaunki Sardar, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia steps into a role that’s anything but formulaic—opposite legends like Babbu Maan and Guru Randhawa, no less. Known for her fierce presence on TV and her fearless run in Khatron Ke Khiladi, Nimrit brings nuance, honesty, and mystery to a character that both challenges and changes the way Punjabi heroines are seen. In this intimate conversation, she opens up about waiting for the right script, reshaping stereotypes, carrying emotional weight, and dreaming of roles that are finally… light.
Tejal Sinha
tejal.sinha30@gmail.com
After years of ruling television and becoming a household name, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia has made a confident leap into cinema with her Punjabi film debut Shaunki Sardar, where she stars alongside stalwarts like Babbu Maan and Guru Randhawa. The film has received an overwhelmingly positive response, and Nimrit’s layered performance has been singled out as one of the highlights. In an exclusive interview, Nimrit speaks about transitioning to films, the nuances of her character, and the kind of stories she now wants to tell.
Nimrit begins by recalling the moment Shaunki Sardar came her way. “Even when I ramped Miss India, I was getting Punjabi film offers. During Choti Sarrdaarni too, and for the last two years in general, ample scripts came my way. But nothing instantly spelled ‘right’,” she says. “For me, I’ve always been someone looking for an opportunity where I can prove my mettle as an actor, where I have something to contribute to the storyline. I just don’t want to be there for the effect of it.”
However, Shaunki Sardar was different. Nimrit recalls being “absolutely pumped” when the script came to her. “When I cracked it, I felt like this is the kind of start I would want for myself in Punjab.”
Talking about the transition from television to a feature film set, Nimrit says the experience felt surprisingly seamless. “As an actor, I didn’t feel different at all,” she notes. “Television has trained me enough to learn on the go—technically and otherwise. We work under such high-pressure environments in TV that when you come on a film set, it just feels more relaxed. You’re only shooting a scene or two a day, so you have more time at hand, and that’s a great change. But barring that, it felt like the same—a group of creatively infused people wanting to make something great.”
Nimrit shared screen space with some of Punjabi cinema’s biggest names, including Babbu Maan and Guru Randhawa. She describes the experience as “really nice and warm from the very beginning.” She fondly recalls how Guru Randhawa made time to meet her even before the shoot began. “He was shooting for a reality show he was judging, and he said, ‘Hey, now that you’re part of the project, let’s at least meet.’ From day one, everyone was very welcoming and very warm.”
She adds that working with secure, supportive co-stars made a significant difference. “Often, the kind of space we female actors deserve doesn’t come that easy. But when you work with secure people, you find that space. Whether it’s about screen time or overall contribution, I give a lot of credit to my producers and the character itself.”
Nimrit’s character in Shaunki Sardar is not just a love interest but a complex woman shaped by honesty and emotional depth. “She’s someone who is very honest—in her relationship, in how she deals with loss in her family, and in how she loves,” she explains. “She’s layered, she’s grey—just like all of us as human beings. There’s no one-track mind here. The most exciting part was staying close to realness and not making it seem superficial.”
To embody her character fully, Nimrit relied heavily on how well the role was written. “An actor’s job is to slip into the character’s skin, and that has a lot to do with the writing. My director and writer equipped me well. Once you know you’re playing someone different, the least you can do is get into that mindset. That’s what I focused on.”
One of the trickier aspects of portraying her character was maintaining the emotional balance while keeping a sense of mystery alive. Nimrit reveals that multiple edit possibilities were considered during the film’s making. “There was one approach where we were going to reveal everything towards the climax. Another idea was to keep things parallel, allowing the audience to guess,” she says.
“We didn’t want it to be an absolute giveaway. We wanted that slight suspense, that subconscious question mark in the viewer’s mind. It was tricky, but I think we succeeded in that—to let people feel something’s off, without stating it out loud.”
When asked where her character fits within the typical portrayal of Punjabi women—usually fiery or sacrificial—Nimrit says her role rewrites that spectrum altogether. “She’s not either. That’s exactly why I wanted to do the film. It felt very unlike the usual Punjabi female characters we see.”
The film’s success has been overwhelming, but Nimrit says she’s not one to get carried away. “The problem is, we don’t take our success seriously enough,” she laughs. “The other day, I was wondering why I wasn’t feeling it, and it’s because I’m already thinking of the next steps. That’s just how I am.”
She adds, “In the few years I’ve spent in the industry, I’ve learned the importance of staying detached. Things can seem great today and completely different tomorrow. But of course, it feels great when appreciation comes not just from the audience but also from critics and people in the industry. It means I’ve done something right.”
Looking ahead, Nimrit hopes to expand her creative palette. While she has often chosen roles with intensity and gravitas, she’s now open to lighter, more joyful characters. “The work I’ve done so far, including Shaunki Sardar, always involved characters with real contributions to the story. But now, I’d love to explore a typical happy-go-lucky girl—someone who is just cheerful and lighthearted. Everything I’ve shot so far has been pretty intense, so it would be refreshing to try something different.”
