Nushrat Bharucha Tells Us Why ‘Akash Vani’ Is Closer To Her Heart Than ‘Dream Girl’

Nushrat Bharucha played the role of a simple small town girl in Dream Girl, which a polar opposite to her other roles. The movie went on to become a blockbuster hit. In addition to the box-office success, it also became the ‘Most Watched Movie’ on ZEE5 since it’s digital release in November and won the High Five on ZEE5 Award. Here we are in conversation with her to find out how the movie changed her life and and why people didn’t believe her character could turn out so good after her previous roles in Pyaar Ka Punchnama and Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety.

Watch the trailer of the movie here.

Q. How much has Dream Girl changed your career?

When I first took up the role in Dream Girl, everyone asked me why I was doing it. I didn’t have an answer to give them. They would either watch the film and love it or they would not like it. So I said you watch the film and then we will talk. The fact that the film did so well, validated my choice. I think that validation helped me greatly.

Q. Did it ever bother you that it was not such a prominent role?

I think I am the wrong person to ask that. Even in Pyaar Ka Punchnama or Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety, I was not playing conventional heroine-like roles. For me, I think, the film on the whole is always bigger than the role itself. All of us come together to make something. Annu Kapoor and Vijay Raaz have been in the industry for so long, they don’t ask why my role is not lengthier, because they ‘get it’. If the film had five scenes more of mine and didn’t become a hit, what would I do with that?

Q. What was the weirdest or best reaction you got for your role in the movie? 

This is the first time I didn’t get any weird reactions, because I played a seedhi-saadhi girl for the first time. The funniest reaction I got, was people couldn’t believe that I was the good girl. They expected me to do something wrong at the end. But they were happy to see me play a nice part. Because the audiences see me in a bad light, but even people around me started saying I’m like the roles I play. I was like – Are you mental!

Q. How are you different in relationships from the characters you play? 

So first of all, I said no to Pyaar ka Punchnama because I was like there’s no girl like this. Of course, I later found out that there are girls like that. But at that time I was so sure that there is no one like this. I am not like any of the girls I play. I love cricket. I hate going out to shop. I can’t decorate the house well. I don’t think I can ever be as clueless about life as my character in Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2. Atleast in Sonu Ki Titu Ki Sweety, I can say the girl was not wrong and I have it in me to take a guy head on.

Q. Dream Girl is your second movie on ZEE5 after Akash Vani.

Oh, wow!

Q. So which one is closer to your heart? 

Akash Vani, no doubt. Out of all the movies I’ve done, all my work, no movie is closer to my heart than Akash Vani. I think that film took on a subject, I don’t think the world was ready to hear. For me to play that character was very tough. I locked myself up for 25 days. I moved out of my house and moved into a dilapidated apartment. No phone, no contact with anyone. I would see the sea and think, I don’t know what. I put myself through that to see what my character went through for two years living in an abusive relationship and it was the hardest.

Q. What’s next for you? 

I’m working on Chalaang with Rajkumar Rao and Hansal Sir (Mehta). It’s very different from what I’ve done and I’m happy to pick up such roles. This way I am able to keep myself interested in my own career. I want to push my talent and explore everything I can do.

Q. What’s one endearing thing about Ayushmann Khurranna? 

His sense of humour. I think I have developed a sense of humour after being with him for that much time. He thinks it is a lame sense of humour but I think it is amazing. Those ridiculous jokes and the way he says it is great. I legit needed his humour to wake up. I did that on every promotion. I used to go and ask him to say 5 jokes because I needed to wake up.

Q. How does it feel closing the year with another award for Dream Girl? 

I am not able to see my films again. I don’t even see my own takes. I watch it only when it releases. So I watched Dream Girl in September and it was done for me. I thought whatever had to happen for me is done. Now whatever happens is for the audiences. But to continuously keep getting from that film for all these months…. and now it’s on a digital platform and it’s doing well and it won an award. The fact that the film lived on longer than I was living it is always rewarding. Not just India, but also globally! I went to Maldives and people knew me. I was surprised, because this is supposed to be my getaway. ZEE5 is taking me globally, I guess.

Watch the trailer for the upcoming movie ‘Saand Ki Aankh’, streaming on ZEE5.

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