Actress Shehnaaz Gill, who made her mark in films by starting her journey with a popular television reality show, has shared her experiences of Bollywood and the film industry. In an exclusive conversation with ‘India Today’, Shehnaaz spoke openly about the ups and downs of her career, her philosophy of staying grounded despite success and the challenges she constantly faces as an artiste. In an exclusive interview, the actress talks about her journey, why she feels every artiste must constantly prove themselves, and her approach to staying grounded despite all the recognition and success she has received over the years.
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The actress, who is currently promoting her film ‘Ishqnaama’, said, “Now everyone in my family is very happy, but earlier they did not understand this industry properly. Here you have to prove yourself constantly. The industry also has to recognize what you can do. Good films come only when you prove yourself. Only a good artist truly understands the power of this industry. Otherwise, people do not recognize your talent.”
When asked when he felt the audience started seeing him as more than just a television personality, the Bigg Boss 13 star credited the love he received for ‘Ikk Kudi’ (2025) for it.
She said, “I think ‘Ikk Kudi’ did very good business in Punjab. Now I have fans all over India. People loved the film, and I am very proud that they have started recognizing me not just as a television face, but as an actress.”
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The ‘Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan’ actress believes that she has been lucky that whatever project she has done, the audience has liked it.
She further added, “Whatever I do, my luck has always been with me. I am only talking about what I have seen so far. I don’t know what will happen in the future. But whatever I do, it somehow gets talked about. If I do a TV show or a film, people like it. I just hope that the same luck and blessings remain with me in the future too.”
Despite having loyal fans, Gill says she doesn’t let expectations burden her. “I am a very different kind of person. I don’t take pressure. If I start taking pressure, I will irritate people. I can’t work that way. I believe in moving on. Once I complete a project and its promotions are over, I leave it. Whether that film will work or not is not in my hands. What matters is that I worked hard and chose a good project. If people appreciate that hard work, then that’s it.” The biggest reward,” he said.
Along with this, he also noted that the fate of a film often depends on the right timing. He gave the example of Trupti Dimri and Avinash Tiwari’s film ‘Laila Majnu’ (2018).
“Look at Laila Majnu, it ran after so many years; they had to re-release the film because not many people went to watch it in theatres. But later, the audience discovered it and liked it. I love that film. Some films are like that. It’s about the right time, and sometimes the time is not right,” he said.
Concluding the conversation, Gill expressed hope that ‘Ishqnaama’ gets all the love it deserves. He said that the entire team has worked very hard in making the film.
“I hope this is the right release date for the film. Let’s see what happens. Even if people watch it later, I hope it runs in theaters because everyone has worked very hard. I especially feel bad for the producers because they have invested a lot of money in making the film,” he concluded.
The Punjabi film ‘Ishqnaama’, which released in theaters on July 24, stars Jai Randhawa and Shehnaaz Gill. It is a true cross-border love story based in 1982.