How to win hearts all over: A crash course by Wamiqa Gabbi

“I’m that girl you’ve seen somewhere, but can’t remember where.’ I was aware of Wamiqa Gabbi’s Instagram bio. Not sure when I turned into a cyber sleuth on the supposed ‘new kid on the block’. Actually...I am certain of the time frame. It was some time after watching her impressive portrayal of Niloufer Qureshi—a courtesan-turned-movie star who, like a jack-in-the-box, pops up doubts in one’s mind on whether she is likeable or not—in Vikramaditya Motwane’s period drama show Jubilee (2023), which is nothing short of an apt ode to the Golden Age of Indian Cinema. My Insta investigation on Wamiqa also ensued from recognising her from Basil Joseph’s (yes, of the 2021 superhero film Minnal Murali fame, for the uninitiated) Malayalam directorial Godha (2017)...I remembered my sister’s comment about how “this North Indian girl [sic] is on par with” her favourite actor Tovino Thomas.

Case made: Yes, years ago, Wamiqa was probably that girl you knew of...just not too well. So when I begin chatting with the 31-year-old actor, I ask her to correct me if I am wrong about whether her hilarious social media bio comes from her being unsure of where she stands in the industry. “I started as a child artist, so the urge to have people come up to me, appreciate my work, or even know me, has been there for a long time. But, mostly, people would come to me and say, ‘I’ve seen you somewhere; I can’t remember where!’. Then, I would have to tell them, ‘Ye dekha tha, ya ye dekha tha (‘did you watch this [names her film], or this [names another film])’ because I have worked in [multiple industries] Punjabi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu. My journey has been such a slow burner, that [the phrase on her Insta bio] is all I have heard. So, I started relating to it too. Of course, it doesn’t come from a very deep space...it is just fun,” she says.

Right after she makes a joke about her initial obscurity, Wamiqa is adamant about explaining her thought process. I listen patiently. “I do not regret anything in life. In fact, I am glad about the way things have happened. I have learnt so much on this journey—I would have been immature had things happened earlier for me. I don’t know how I would have handled it. So, I am grateful for how things have turned out for me. Also, even though I have been working for so long [she started working in regional projects when she was eight], I am still a fresh face for the Hindi film industry. Let’s just say, I am like that expensive dum biryani that takes time [to cook]. But, once you have it, it is the yummiest! So much so that you will be telling your friends ‘my goodness, that’s the best biryani I’ve ever had’,” she quips, laughing.

 

I understand, I tell her. But, is it not coupled with that feeling of ‘have I arrived yet?’ Or has she personally witnessed such a moment in life? Wamiqa pauses to collect her thoughts. She then shares, “You know, it has been more than 10 years in Mumbai. For the first five or six years, I just kept cribbing about a lot of things. I was not grateful enough. So this girl from a small city like Chandigarh with no film background or influential family/friends—nothing, just my dad being a writer and my connection to theatre—for her to be here in Mumbai, and now do the kind of work that I am doing, I think I arrived long back, I just didn’t realise it.”

It is easy for me to connect this confidence with her viral social avatar that is winning hearts. Wamiqa’s online alter ego, Premiqa—it is inspired by the 1994 track Premika Ne Pyar Se from Jhankar—comes across as this goofy, zero-effs-given, happy-go-lucky girl! And while I am itching to say that to her...I decide not to interrupt her, as she reminisces about her childhood and connects the dots of her life. “When I was in school, we would talk about how rare it is for actors to be from non-film backgrounds...the examples are few; Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut. When I look back now, I feel that it would have been almost impossible for a person like me to achieve whatever I have achieved, and also have the journey that I have had. I only see better things for me in the future. I don’t see me coming down any time soon [her tone is enough to let me know she’s smiling on the other end of the phone]...I feel,, now it is just upwards, and I am so grateful. Just for me to be here and work with [she exclaims in awe] ufff, Vishal Bhardwaj [she’s done four back-to-back projects with the Khufiya director]; Motwane; Raj & DK [creators of her next, action-fantasy series Rakt Bramhand–The Bloody Kingdom]; Atlee [filmmaker; Wamiqa stars in his upcoming production venture Baby John]; RajKummar Rao [her co-star in Bhul Chuk Maaf]; Varun Dhawan [actor and Baby John co-star].” Priyadarshan too? I take the liberty to ask, given reports of her being cast in the director’s horror-comedy Bhooth Bangla, wherein he collaborates with actor Akshay Kumar after 14 years, is all over the Internet. Wamiqa is tight-lipped; and I discern she’s not going to give in to me prying. So, I let it pass, and she continues, “I also just shot a cameo with Salman Khan. So, to be working with these people was a dream that I never really dreamt of. It is surreal for me—I am one of the lucky children of God who really got what she wanted in life. I wanted to be a heroine, an actor, and I am living that dream.”

Of course, it is a dream only a few choose (and get) to live IRL. But was there a career path she had in mind? And while her being labelled a draamebaaz (a drama queen) by her family was clue enough that she might choose this vocation, what if Wamiqa didn’t make it as an actor...was there a plan B? “I actually thought that if nothing happens, I will pursue an MA in Kathak and become a dance teacher.”

Her craze for cinema, the craft, dance, and the whole shebang has its roots in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s romance-drama Devdas (2002). She explains how such cinema was a bigger portion of her watch diet. “I had a TV in my room and would keep watching Devdas——it is my favourite film. And, I remember, even after the TV stopped displaying images, I would listen to the audio. I was that mad about the world [of cinema]. I kept thinking ‘can I do such films once I grow up?’” Of course, while such big dance-drama productions were not far and few between, Wamiqa’s role in Jubilee allowed her to enjoy this bit for the OTT screen, and “it was so overwhelming for me...especially because I got to dance on Voh Tere Mere Ishq Ka in a series directed by Motwane, a [former] long-time assistant of Bhansali—someone I want to work with”. And she couldn’t be any happier (“I got very lucky”). 

It is obvious that the scripts she’s been selecting are extremely thought through. What is it that makes her say yes to a project? “I listen to a narration, and if I am like ‘ufff, kaisi duniya mein le gaye aap mujhe? (wow, what’s this world you’ve transported me to?)’, I say yes to it. I don’t find simple films interesting—not that such films are not nice or I don’t watch them. But, even as an individual, I have a mixed personality—you know, like most artists who are a little mad. For me, world hopping [through cinema] is very important. I don’t enjoy extremely realistic films—I would only go to a theatre to watch something that is thoda [slightly] unbelievable...if I am like ‘mazaa aa jayega [it will be fun]’. So, I also like doing such work.” But entertainment aside, she also believes—and I agree—that films impart life lessons. “There are so many things I have learnt from the characters in not-so-serious cinema.”

The passion with which she talks about cinema, I wonder how was it that she toyed with the idea of quitting the industry in 2019—a thought she overturned after workshopping for Bhardwaj’s now-shelved series Midnight’s Children. So, what changed post that? “Actually, during those workshops with [director, acting mentor] Atul Mongia, I understood that the stress I was taking, about my career, was temporary. It is only after that period, I have become relaxed...I realised I am too lucky to cry over anything that doesn’t happen according to me. Now, I hardly have bad days in life—even if I am rejected, or if someone talks bad about me. In fact, when the latter happens, I automatically start feeling bad for the person. Earlier, I was very intimidated by judgment. But I realised that the way people judge you and look at you is just a reflection of their own lives, how they have experienced it, or what they’ve absorbed from it. Sometimes people can be really unlucky; they don’t absorb good things from life. Also, if you have love in your heart, you will never want anyone to feel bad or small...because you know that life is much more than all this. Tomorrow, if someone dies, everything is over—the rat race is temporary. For me, the beautiful relationships I have with friends and family are my life’s treasures. Of course that doesn’t mean I don’t care about my career. I give it my 100 per cent, but I do not stress over it—I keep reminding myself of the good things I have in life. You can say good things and motivate people... in fact, only those who love you will criticise you well. But those who criticise you to make you feel bad...I pity such people, because they definitely must be damn troubled in life to behave in such a way.”

I discuss with Wamiqa how, in today’s time, when people showcase empathy and compassion—two qualities that should be innate, but are often lacking—they are put on a pedestal. And I can’t stop but ask how these qualities tie into her status as a celebrity? She has a simple philosophy, “I’ve read somewhere that you need to wake up every day and kill your ego. I understand, as a celebrity, there are changes that happen continuously in my thoughts and beliefs. But, I ensure that I take empathy and compassion along with it...because I don’t think I’ll be able to live with myself if I don’t do so. I have requested my family, friends, and management to keep me in check as far as ego goes. I try to keep myself in check as well. I feel, ego can make you fly high...but when you fall, it never helps you. And I don’t want to fall.” 

How does one get the strength to be an empath amid social media trolls and negative news? “On social media, there are people who just bully you. It is extremely important to regulate social media platforms. In fact, I feel everyone should have just one account—a verified one. Because when one can identify you through a single account, bullying and trolling will reduce. I don’t read too many comments—of course, before the pandemic, these things would bother me. But it is traumatic for a few people, especially teenagers, who are still vulnerable. As for me, I can’t worry about what I can’t control.”

Grief—she shares—was something she rejected. “I imagine sadness as a family member, and I would reject it earlier...as if it’s not mine.” However, it is only post the pandemic that she realised that there’s been a change in this idea...especially given a number of actors delve into grief to better their craft. “You know I have learnt a lot about grief after I broke up [with her former partner] in the pandemic. Over time, I realised that you don’t need to crave grief to be empathetic. You can have a peaceful life and be compassionate. I don’t think about romanticising sadness to excel in my craft. Yes, in the past, my characters have troubled me...they’ve played with my mind and changed things in me. But now, I am clear about how to keep things separate. Of course, a character like Niloufer has made me feel confident as well.”

So what does success mean to her? “Even though I come from a middle-class family—they have made heartbreaking sacrifices for me—my father never made me feel insecure about my financial state. Given the family I have been raised in—I think, I am already successful. I am now getting to do things for my family, even financially, and they have made me capable enough to do this for them.”

Wamiqa is now taking on an influx of creative projects—with ease, if I may add (or so it seems). I shamelessly ask her whether she’s taken a vacation in the recent past...a question she laughs at, and rightfully so, given achieving work-life balance is nothing but a modern myth. Her approach to it is simple: “Travel for work also means a mini holiday in a way,” she says, recounting her recent work trip to Bulgaria, wherein she went to a quaint Hungarian village with her team to shop—she also had “vegan pizza”. I’m not surprised she’s stressed on the plant-based diet, because if there’s anything I learnt from stalking (ahem...research, people!)  the actor, it is that she loves animals. “My reasons for being a vegetarian are completely related to not harming animals,” she says, leading to gushing over her four dogs who are in Mumbai with her. The way she’s bubbling over her love for her pets, I can’t stop but apologise before asking her if she can pick a favourite—something we pet parents (mostly) can never admit to. “You know, I do,” she says, as we both laugh. “I am so glad they can’t read or even use phones—but yes, my favourite is Gabbar, he’s a male, street Pomeranian, and he sleeps with me in my room. I stay with four dogs, and they teach me what unconditional love is.”

This is when I ask her about Premiqa: Was that a calculated move? “After the pandemic, I realised that the only thing that will stay with me is love. I think people will only remember me by the way I have made them feel. That’s also why I turned vegetarian (I am almost vegan, and will turn 100 per cent soon). So, when I heard the song Premiqa, I realised this is who I want to be—when I am a 70-year-old woman, I want nothing but to have love in my life, and to be able to give love to others. So, maybe I manifested it,” she says, laughing. The Libran that she is, does she crave to find balance in life? “I don’t believe in astrology all that much but yes, when you talk about balance—I seek that in life, both careerwise and personally,” she says, adding that she loves to paint, but has no time for it. “However, I will only call myself an achiever, if, in life, I can do something for animals—be it work towards demanding stricter laws, or creating a space wherein I can rescue, help, and provide for street animals; as well as educating people on adopting a vegan lifestyle. Because everything else, I am doing for myself...This, however, is something I will be doing for animals,” she concludes in true Premiqa style. 

Editor: Pratishtha Dobhal (@pratishtha_dobhal)
Digital Editor: Sonal Ved (@sonalved)
Interview: Simi Kuriakose (@si.mi.later)
Photographer: Sasha Jairam (@sashajairam)
Stylist: Stacey Cardoz (@styledbystaceycardoz)
Cover Design: Mandeep Singh (@mandy_khokhar19)
Editorial Coordinator: Shalini Kanojia (@shalinikanojia)
Make-up artist: Eshwar Log (@eshwarlog)
Hair stylist: Sajan Thapa (@sajzdot)
Styling assistants: Nishtha Agarwal and Sakshi Sanghavi

On Wamiqa: Faux fur Giambattista Valli x H&M jacket, A I M É E (@aimee.loved); 80’s vintage treasure earring and Tiffany and co-ring, Viange Vintage (@viangevintage); Lennoxie maroon pumps, Charles & Keith (@charleskeithofficial)

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