She effortlessly switched her disposition between a cool-girl and real-girl in Pyaar Ka Punchnama. She was exceedingly relatable in its sequel—cool, chic and at times, a little conceited. She played a feisty bride-to-be in Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. And recently, even a computer science teacher from a small town whose character is the consistent with voice of reason in Chhalaang. Nushrratt Bharuccha seems to have perfected her understanding of the arc lights, pre-empting the conversation and nailing its zeitgeist.
Although the petite, poised actor is most renowned for her comic capers, she bristles at the idea of being slotted into a special box. “As an actor, you need to leave your judgments at home when you’re trying to understand a character. How else can someone play the role of a murderer or a psycho serial killer? I love getting under the skin of human psyche,” she tells me with her brand of candidness. A role she’s yearning to play? “Everyone is too pre-occupied with making me the girl-next-door, but I’d love to explore a psychological thriller or a character with conflicting personalities. Movies like Gone Girl and Joker are so multi-dimensional. You may not like the characters, but you understand why they did what they did.”
On the magic of movies
Exactly one year ago, when the world retracted indoors in, Bharuccha, too, cocooned herself in her Mumbai home. “It felt like the rug under our feet was pulled out,” she says earnestly, while acknowledging that there were times when she enjoyed the forced hiatus. “I’m grateful for the little break I got.” Her social media feed echoed this feeling—her selfie series that show her practicing yoga, playing dress up at home or simply lounging on the bed in her pjs, spending time with her family and her pet cat Noah, and even indulging with an occasional at-home self-care session.
“From that to be able to resume work, it’s such a welcome change. I started shooting in 2020 itself. In December last year, I completed the filming of an entire movie in a month, from start to finish.” And the New Year couldn’t not have started on a brighter note for Bharuccha. The star is featured in rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh and singer Neha Kakkar’s latest track ‘Saiyaan Ji’. She can be seen shaking her leg to the tunes in the catchy song that has already garnered over 200 million views (at the time of publishing this story) on YouTube.
When I ask about her upcoming project, she shares, “I have Janhit Mein Jaari in the pipeline. It’s a female-centric film, and Omung Kumar [the director of the film] has really captured the nuances and sensitivities of the characters. There are two other films that I am really excited about. My trials and reading has begun, but I can’t reveal much about it just yet.”
With her performance in 2020 Hindi-language sports comedy drama Chhalaang, she really hit it out of the park by breathing in realism and detailing into the narrative. The movie was released on an OTT platform. When I ask about her experience of the departure from traditional theatrical release, she confesses, “We shot Chhalaang with a very realistic point of view. We knew what the narrative was; we knew who we were making the film for. It was a predominately a movie made for children, parents and teachers. So, the idea was to target such a wide demographic. And the fact that the movie made it to television screens and smartphones, made it so accessible. We were thrilled that through the OTT platform, it was going to reach so many more people and across countries.” The actor goes on to reveal that her fans can also look forward to another OTT release. “It’s an anthology. Stay tuned!”
On her signature style
Bharuccha breaks down her personal style in five words: “Chic, but a little sexy. A shirt dress aptly fits this bill.” Her off-duty wardrobe is “the opposite side of the spectrum. I love wearing a white chikankari kurta or casual shirt with jeans.” Don’t be fooled by her fuss-free looks. When it’s a festive occasion, she sure knows how to pull out all stops. And Bharuccha’s affinity for lehengas is easy to come by. “I love lehengas,” she reaffirms. “But I am partial to pastels and ivory tones. For instance, if I had to pick pink piece, you’re likely to see me choose a subtle rose or carnation hue instead of a fuchsia,” she avers. What would be a worthy wedding look? “If I was picking my bridal outfit, it was be the complete 180 from blush shades. I would go for jewel tones like an emerald green, rust, brown or navy blue. I loved the pieces I wore for the Khush cover shoot.”
Her penchant for scene-stealing occasion wear is usually accompanied by an equally discerning eye for jewellery. But you’ll often find Bharuccha editing her accessories down to a few statement pieces. “I never go OTT with jewellery—it’s only to complement my outfit and never take away from it. My lehenga or any Indian wear outfit’s cut or style usually serves as my guide. If I opt for a choker, then I would prefer not wearing earrings or bangles. If I pick earrings, I go with a statement pair so I don’t need any other pieces to go with it. Or simply a maang tikka and a big stack of bangles. I don’t like following the norm—I can’t wear a whole set.”
On relationships
As the actor, who has settled in her own skin as an artiste, has no immediate plans for settling down. Being married to the right person someday is definitely on the cards though. “Trust is of utmost important, followed by respect, and the correct understanding, where you don’t doubt your partner’s intention. It is as simple as that! Nothing else can compensate for these qualities when I look for a partner to spend my life with. But these are the qualities that are missing among people most times. These are intrinsic virtues, you either have it or you don’t.”
On her dream wedding
“There’s an island with a cave in the middle of the sea in Portugal. I took a boat ride to the place. There’s this one cave in particular that boasts a little gap on top of it. On a full-moon night, moonlight streams into the cave through the gap.
I want to do a beach wedding there—a sunset ceremony followed by a party under the moonlight with my closest friends and family in attendance. I think I’d pick a delicate white gown, whether it’s with lace, sheer or with intricate embroidery for the occasion.”
On playing the Khush cover girl
“It was an amazing experience! We had such a blast shooting this cover. We had music, we danced and knocked off so many looks,” she concludes.
Editor-in-Chief: Sonia Ullah
Fashion Editor: Vikas Rattu
Styling: Tanishq Malhotra
Photography: Raju Raman
Makeup: Salim Sayyed
Hair: Ashwini R Vhanne
Assisted by: Archita Elwadhi
Studio: Go Studios, New Delhi
All clothing:
Payal Keyal
www.PayalKeyal.com
Available in the UK at Nikaza
All jewellery:
Gujranwala Jewellers BSG
Instagram: @GujranwalaJewellersBholuShah