- By Swati Singh
- Thu, 04 Dec 2025 05:50 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Actress and singer Shehnaaz Gill rose to fame through her appearance on Salman Khan’s reality show Bigg Boss 13, which made her a household name across the country. Although she later featured in Bollywood films such as Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Thank You For Coming, the projects didn’t bring her the level of stardom she had hoped for. Determined to chart her own path, Shehnaaz has now ventured into production with the Punjabi film Ikk Kudi, aiming to showcase her talent in a leading role.
During her recent appearance on Bigg Boss 19, Shehnaaz Gill told Salman Khan, "Mere upar koi paise nahi laga raha, toh maine khud par laga diye." Now, in an interview with with Faridoon Shahryar, she revealed that she wasn't receiving meaningful roles.
Gill said, "I am not getting good stories, and I am being used as a prop in films. I was seeing the same kind of stories with nothing unique and no strong message. I was getting many offers, but I feel putting money on me should be worthwhile."
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Shehnaaz also opened up on getting criticised when she initially entered in the industry. "A lot of people told me I wasted time. I don’t think so. That time I was learning and that was very important. It’s crucial to understand scripts and films. I just didn’t want to do anything for the sake of it, because these things stay. I have experienced that and saw that people didn’t enjoy it; they wanted to see more of Shehnaaz," she said.
"I believe that if you are seen on screen even for two minutes, it should be impactful, but that wasn’t happening. I thought, why not do something in our own Punjabi industry where we can actually make a difference? Why are we just running behind Bollywood? I will work there someday, but first I want to prove myself. I am giving auditions for Bollywood, doing the best I can, but first proving myself as an actor was very important, and I am glad people are seeing that now," she stated.
Shehnaaz further hailed Punjabi cinema and said, "The Punjabi industry is huge. Bollywood films don’t work until they put a Punjabi song in them."