Mumbai, July 29 — Actress Shehnaaz Gill, long associated with a buoyant and carefree screen image, has taken on more intense and layered characters in recent projects such as Ikk Kudi and Ishqnama. Asked whether the shift represented a deliberate effort to alter public perception, she maintained that she is not attempting to prove a point.

In a conversation with IANS, Shehnaaz said the change has unfolded naturally. “I am not trying to prove anything. My destiny is proving it. God is giving me hard work. God is giving me good scripts. It is happening in my destiny.”

Her latest release, Ishqnama, is a period romantic drama inspired by a true story. Set between 1981 and 1988 along the India-Pakistan border, the film follows the relationship of real-life figures Nimma and Nasima. It examines themes of love, sacrifice and human resilience in the face of forced separation. The narrative is adapted from the book Hind Pak Bordernama.

Directed by Arvvindr S. Khaira and produced by Sourabh Rana and Ravneet Kaur Chahal, the film stars Jai alongside Shehnaaz Gill and Saurabh Sachdeva. Music has been composed by B Praak with lyrics by Jaani. Ishqnama is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release across India, Canada and the United Kingdom on 24 July.

Shehnaaz first attracted widespread attention through her appearance on Bigg Boss 13. Her professional journey began earlier: she entered modelling in 2015 with the music video Shiv Di Kitaab and made her acting debut in the 2017 Punjabi film Sat Shri Akaal England. Subsequent credits include Kala Shah Kala, Daaka, Honsla Rakh, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Thank You for Coming.

She has also maintained a steady presence in music videos, appearing in tracks such as Maar Kar Gayi, Pindaan Diyaan Kudiyaan, Je Haan Ni Karni, Putt Sardaran De, Lakh Laanhta, Viah Da Chaa, Jatt Jaan Vaarda, Gusse Ho Ke Nahiyo Sarna, Jatti Hadd Sekhdi, Gunday Ik Vaar Fer, Peg Paun Wele, Gedi Route, Shona Shona and Habit. Another video, Sab First Class, is currently in the pipeline.

By framing her recent choices as the result of opportunity rather than strategy, Shehnaaz has distanced herself from the idea of a calculated image overhaul. The roles in Ikk Kudi and Ishqnama place her in emotionally demanding territory, yet she presents the progression as organic—driven by the scripts that have come her way and the work she is prepared to invest in them.

As Ishqnama reaches theatres, the performance will offer audiences a clearer view of the range she is currently exploring, independent of any stated intention to rewrite earlier perceptions.

Mumbai, July 29 — Actress Shehnaaz Gill, long associated with a buoyant and carefree screen image, has taken on more intense and layered characters in recent projects such as Ikk Kudi and Ishqnama. Asked whether the shift represented a deliberate effort to alter public perception, she maintained that she is not attempting to prove a point.

In a conversation with IANS, Shehnaaz said the change has unfolded naturally. “I am not trying to prove anything. My destiny is proving it. God is giving me hard work. God is giving me good scripts. It is happening in my destiny.”

Her latest release, Ishqnama, is a period romantic drama inspired by a true story. Set between 1981 and 1988 along the India-Pakistan border, the film follows the relationship of real-life figures Nimma and Nasima. It examines themes of love, sacrifice and human resilience in the face of forced separation. The narrative is adapted from the book Hind Pak Bordernama.

Directed by Arvvindr S. Khaira and produced by Sourabh Rana and Ravneet Kaur Chahal, the film stars Jai alongside Shehnaaz Gill and Saurabh Sachdeva. Music has been composed by B Praak with lyrics by Jaani. Ishqnama is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release across India, Canada and the United Kingdom on 24 July.

Shehnaaz first attracted widespread attention through her appearance on Bigg Boss 13. Her professional journey began earlier: she entered modelling in 2015 with the music video Shiv Di Kitaab and made her acting debut in the 2017 Punjabi film Sat Shri Akaal England. Subsequent credits include Kala Shah Kala, Daaka, Honsla Rakh, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Thank You for Coming.

She has also maintained a steady presence in music videos, appearing in tracks such as Maar Kar Gayi, Pindaan Diyaan Kudiyaan, Je Haan Ni Karni, Putt Sardaran De, Lakh Laanhta, Viah Da Chaa, Jatt Jaan Vaarda, Gusse Ho Ke Nahiyo Sarna, Jatti Hadd Sekhdi, Gunday Ik Vaar Fer, Peg Paun Wele, Gedi Route, Shona Shona and Habit. Another video, Sab First Class, is currently in the pipeline.

By framing her recent choices as the result of opportunity rather than strategy, Shehnaaz has distanced herself from the idea of a calculated image overhaul. The roles in Ikk Kudi and Ishqnama place her in emotionally demanding territory, yet she presents the progression as organic—driven by the scripts that have come her way and the work she is prepared to invest in them.

As Ishqnama reaches theatres, the performance will offer audiences a clearer view of the range she is currently exploring, independent of any stated intention to rewrite earlier perceptions.