15 minutes agoAuthor: Ashish Tiwari/Bharti Dwivedi
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The film ‘The Lunch Box’ showed a new face on screen with the late actor Irrfan Khan. The simple, without makeup, that face was printed on people’s minds. Yes, very few people know that before landing in millions of hearts, that face had worked hard for 13 years, rejections had also suffered. One film had healed every rejection wound that he met in the film industry. ‘The Lunch Box’ gave that face so much that the demand for the payment of that face is not only in Bollywood but also in Hollywood.
In today’s success story, Nimrat Kaur is telling her Bollywood to Hollywood journey….
Papa was brutally killed by terrorists in Kashmir
It was the year of 1994, when both mother and both of us reached Kashmir to meet my sister Papa during the winter holiday. There one day Hizbul militants kidnapped Papa from his workplace. Instead of leaving Papa, he wanted the release of some terrorists. After torturing Papa for seven days, he shot. At that time I was just 11 years old.
Father’s absence had a profound effect on my life. This is a stop of age, in which you are neither small children nor a matured person. In that phase I had to bear the bitter truth of life. The foundation of my life changed from there. I matured before time. She did not realize her, today when I think about that time then it seems. Mother shifted to Delhi with both our sisters.
There was a lot of difference between army and civilian life
Papa was in my army, then the whole childhood was spent in the concentration. There used to be a very beautiful and safe atmosphere in the Army Cantt of small cities. All the houses had a similar furniture, children had a school bag. Actually, I was simple and plain environment. Coming from the army area to the civilian area was a big change for my life. I was always in small cities of Punjab, Kashmir.
It was a big thing for me to come to Delhi from there. According to that time, Noida was also a big city for me. People were different in the civilian area, the way of living was different, the atmosphere was different. Life took a different turn without father. Life was transformed. I stayed in Delhi for 10 years and then moved from there to Mumbai.
Auto immune disease removes sports
I was 9 years old, when I had a strange auto immune problem called Rumatic Heart Fever. Because of this, I could not do anything for a year. I had almost reached the bed reading situation. At that time I used to study in Patiala and was sprinter. I had to give up athletic life because of the Rumatic Heart Fever. Running was my hobby, he left. I loved the stage very much.
I used to be a part of extra curricular activity in school. I always became part of debate, school level play. I was not shy. I loved the stage because I used to get a chance to see people’s reactions.
If you want to mind, then chose the path of modeling
I did not have to study after college. I was upset after studying. I understood that now I would have to do something that would make money and do not have to study. When I told this to my mother, she became very upset. My mother was afraid of going into the modeling world from the army atmosphere but she had a lot of trust in me. He knew that this girl would not be missing in that world. In such a situation, I moved from Delhi to Mumbai. After coming here, I first made my portfolio. My portfolio was made by one of my knowers, so my money was saved in this work.
I was a common girl, who did not get too much attention. I did not know how I look. I was like oil in hair, long skirts, socks up to the top. Childhood was such that what I look like, there was no awareness of things. Show on stage, to become Madhuri Dixit, to change clothes and dance. This was my dream but I did not know how to turn it into reality. This was the time when the beauty pageant was dominated in India. Sushmita Sen became Miss Universe. She also comes from the army background. Nevertheless, Shah Rukh Khan’s interview used to read a lot. His interview had a very profound impact on me. He had a Delhi connection. Together, I used to think that I could also become a chance.
100 auditions, all got rejections
After becoming a portfolio, I used to come to that production house myself. I gave 90-100 auditions, then I got my first job. My first ed was of Asian Paint, which was shot by the Shoojit Sarkar. My first experience on the camera has been of ‘Tera-Mere Pyaar’ music video.
Some Sony Music composer came from London. He was looking for a new girl. As soon as I came to know about this, I sent my portfolio through a common friend and I got that music video. I was very lucky that people gave a lot of love to my first work. Till date, there is a craze among the people about that song.
In the year 2005, Nimrat got a fame with Kumar Shanu’s album Tera-Mera Pyar.
Continuous rejections went to self -doubt
Things were not easy in Mumbai. Staying away from home, no family nearby, in such a situation, used to wash a lot. Could not even talk at home, otherwise she would come back. While giving auditions, there was sometimes a condition that the whole day used to go out and food was not available. Traveling by train, she used to do her own makeup too. Once I was going for an audition, a carman threw the whole mud on me. I cleaned myself and then auditioned.
After so much rejection, there was a self -doubt. I started wondering if I look like that is not enough? Are I not able to come on screen? Sometimes he would have seen very modern. Sometimes he used to reject by saying that it looks very Indian. In such a situation, I did not understand where I fits. Seeing the rejection, I got upset what I am doing with my life.
Nimrat also has an identity of Cadbury Girl.
Best Actress Award received in Theater
Within four years of coming to Mumbai, I had done a lot of ad films. Initially, there was so much work that the kitchen and house rent started coming out. My bank balance was fixed. I did not need to think too much. As Nimrat, I knew how to laugh, blush and surprise. But I did not know how to read the line as an actor. I did not know how to play different characters. I started going to theater in Mumbai. After watching the play, I realized that I would have to work with them to become a better actor.
I went to a very big director Sunil Shanbag. He was making some musical plays at that time. They asked me if you know? I replied yes. They called me on rehearsal. I played a small role in that musical play. By doing this, my theater’s journey started.
I received the Best Actress Award for my next play. Getting the tag of the best actress in the theater is a big thing. This increased my more confidence. I did a theater for 5-6 years. Played all kinds of Hindi, English and big and small. With this I also kept doing Ed film. Today I have learned mostly from theater.
The film ‘The Lunch Box’ changed my life
This film was probably the result of my patience. When this film was offered to me, I did not know who else is working in this film. I liked the story very much and I said yes. The character who was my character in the film was shot in Malad in just 9 days. The film is made in very few resources and budget. There was no hair makeup for me. I was watching everything myself.
I met Irfan sir for the first time on readings. If he used to remain very silent, we did not talk a lot. Proper meeting and conversation took place on the set of the film. I learned a lot after seeing Irfan’s work. There was a magic in them. When this film was shown in Cannes, people were already getting up and going. We all scared what happened. Did people not like the film? Later we came to know that people liked the film so much that they were going to take the rights of that film. The lunch box was released in 175 countries.
I wanted a closure so Kashmir went back
After the film ‘The Lunch Box’ I went to Kashmir. I was overwhelmed by the response that my film received in Cannes. At that time I remembered Kashmir. I felt that if I go there now, I can feel my father a little close to me.
She went there for the first time after her father’s death. When we lost them in 1994, we did not have a closure. On the day of the incident, I saw Papa going to office and after that he got to see his coffin directly. We did not understand what happened to us?
Canced in May, I went to Kashmir in June. I went to the village where my father was shot. I went to the concentration where we were. There is a view point named after Papa, from where the first view of the entire Kashmir Valley is available. I went there. I went to all the places from where my memories were attached to the closure. There was no anger in the mind, just sorrow.
Today his idol is installed in Ganganagar. This was the heartfelt desire of my family. We were working on this for many years. I celebrate myself lucky that I am on the position from where it was possible to do this. It was possible to have a statue in his memory at Papa’s birth place. This will inspire the people there.
The film ‘The Lunch Box’ brought me to Hollywood
I was promoting my film ‘The Lunch Box’ in London, when I was called to audition for the Hollywood series ‘Homeland’. I had an email for audition. I was absolutely surprised. I was doing a small film in Mumbai and a call came directly for the international project. I did not even know what the series is. I did not even see ‘Homeland’. I saw all the three parts of the series in the first one day of the shoot.
I took my own clothes on the screen test. I was playing the role of a Pakistani girl in the series. I was a housewife in ‘The Lunch Box’ and I was to play the role of ISI agent directly in ‘Homeland’. I advised them that Punjab is on both sides, so there should be some cultural value. I used Punjabi and scarf idea for the series.
Photo during the American series ‘Homeland’.
Taste of successful success tasted from ‘Airlift’
I was doing art film and theater till now. Meanwhile, I got a chance to work with Akshay Kumar. ‘Airlift’ producer Nikhil Advani wanted me for this film. It was a big thing for me to work with Akshay Kumar. When I met him for the first time on the set, the songs of his films were roaming in front of me. School, Birthday Party grew up by dancing to their songs in all these places.
‘Airlift’ proved to be a big hit film, thus committed a commercially successful film. Finished ‘Airlift’, by then I got an international project again. I worked in the US Mystery Science Fiction Series ‘Voward Pines’.
Had to sacrifice a lot for ‘The Test case’
In the year 2017, I did the ‘The Test case’ web series, which was based on the Indian Army. This series was very close to my heart. I also worked hard for this. I took Combat training for 3 months. Sugar, caffeine, carb had everything left. Physically I had worked so hard, after a time I started feeling that I am the commando of the army. These series and uniforms remind me of my father, so I have kept the costume of the series with me. Its climax was so difficult that I fainted.
I was shooting an action scene in Borivali’s National Park and the heat was very high. Dehydration took place and my BP was very low. The impact of this series has been very high on girls. Even today, when I leave the airport security, many times CRPF girls tell me that they have come in the force after seeing this series.
Increased weight 15 kg for film ‘tenth’
After this series, I worked with Abhishek Bachchan in the film ‘Tenth’. I had to gain 15 kg for the film. ‘Tenth’ was being shot before Kovid, then Kovid arrived. I had only two days of work left, till then the lockdown was installed. I had to maintain 15 kg weight for a long time because my shoot was left. That time was very difficult for me. Then I did ‘School of Lies’ and then did the American series ‘Foundation’. This year my film ‘Skyforce’ and Series ‘Kul-The Legacy of Raisinghs’ have been released, which has received a lot of love from the audience. Soon I will also be seen in ‘Section-84’ with Amitabh Bachchan.
Read here last week’s success story …
Hearing the fabric of being fat made himself underweight: TV actress tag, due to color-wishes, ‘Kabir Singh’ changed luck
A girl whose childhood was spent in extreme discipline. She was unaware of the common world till 10th. When she went to college, she got news of the world and got wings to her dreams, but during this time she also got to see the cruel face of the world. She was told that she is not beautiful. He was shocked by this and went to the extent of torturing himself to look beautiful. Read the entire story here …