'We should not reject sadness': Wamiqa Gabbi

Wamiqa Gabbi is truly the breakout actor of 2023. First, she charmed audiences with her performance in Jubilee and now, she is all set to play leading roles in two Vishal Bhardwaj projects: the web series Charlie Chopra & The Mystery of Solang Valley (releasing on September 27 on Sony Liv), where she plays the role of a lady detective Charlie Chopra, and the spy thriller Khufiya (releasing on October 5 on Netflix), where she plays an intriguing character sharing screen space with Tabu and Ali Fazal. In an interview with City Times, Wamiqa talks about her success after a decade-long journey, her dreams that came true and her philosophy in life.

Charlie Chopra, in which you play the title role, sounds exciting. What is the most fascinating aspect of this character?

The most fascinating thing is the fact that I am playing a female detective Charlie Chopra. We don’t have a lot of female detectives in India, especially not a fun female detective. And who else to make a female detective fun than Vishal (Bhardwaj) sir? He can add humour to even a really dark story. It’s not a regular, serious ‘whodunit’; it is a super fun mystery. And we are also breaking the fourth wall.

I am hearing this phrase a lot with regard to this series. Please tell our readers what exactly ‘breaking the fourth wall’ is.

It means you break the fourth wall i.e. the screen (laughs) and talk to the audiences directly. So I, as Charlie Chopra, have a connection with the audience throughout the show. It’s like I am speaking to my best friends. I talk to them in the middle of a scene.

Within a span of one week, we are going to see you in two Vishal Bhardwaj projects - Charlie Chopra and Khufiya. Before these, you did Fursat (2023) and Modern Love Mumbai (2022). Is Wamika Gabbi Vishal Bhardwaj's new muse?

I am just very very grateful. I never thought I’ll ever be able to work in a Vishal Bhardwaj film and here I am, doing four projects with him. It’s an honour definitely to have the trust of a maverick filmmaker like Vishal Bhardwaj. It’s a validation for me at another level…yay!

Tell us about the spy thriller Khufiya with Tabu and Ali Fazal?

It’s strange that these two projects are releasing almost simultaneously. Charlie Chopra is the most recent project I shot for and Khufiya was the first project I did with Vishal sir. I am playing the lead role in Charlie Chopra and I am Charulata in Khufiya. Charulata is also a tribute that Vishal sir is paying to Satyajit Ray. I am really happy to be the Charulata of Vishal Bhardwaj’s universe.

2023 has been truly the year of Wamiqa Gabbi. Was the wait really long? What do you feel about this dream year?

Actually, I kept on waiting for years for something like this to happen. Then I stopped waiting and all of these came together (laughs). I think that’s what happens once you stop running after things that you really really want and just work on yourself. Get better at your craft and I think everything will just come to you.

You have been a part of the industry for years. Was it a long struggle for you with rejections?

I can really glorify my struggle and make it sound really big, but to be honest, I know there are so many people who are struggling in life at a way bigger level. I have had my ups and downs that are big for me. Those times had taken my peace away and given me anxiety. But I wouldn’t regret anything. Everything has brought me to this day when I am talking to you about two projects I am doing with Vishal Bhardwaj. I wouldn’t take away anything from my journey. There is no one in this world who doesn’t face struggles. If you’ve made it, that means you have a happy ending. There are people who struggle and don’t ever make it; that’s hard. I like to talk about the things that helped me overcome my struggles. What’s really helped me was understanding life is way more important than career. To find happiness, joy, peace, sadness in life and accept everything. We should not reject sadness. I accept sadness now. Like happiness is a part of you, so is sadness. And the sooner we accept it with open arms, the better. Don’t regret feeling sad.

I think this wisdom is reflected in your performances too. Your performance as Nilofer in Jubilee was wonderful.

Thank you.

Every time there is a Wamiqa Gabbi project in the news, a clip from Jab We Met (2007) goes viral in which we can see a very young Wamiqa. What’s about it?

(Laughs) I have no idea. More and more people are sharing my clip from Jab We Met. That was my first film. I played Kareena Kapoor’s cousin. I was in class 7 in school. I had already done a Punjabi TV serial Saude Dilaan De when I was in class 5. That show was about the partition of India, and I was a little girl playing the childhood role of the lead actress. I was full on overacting (laughs).

You are now doing a full on masala film produced by Atlee. Is mainstream cinema something you aspire for?

Though, of late, I’ve done projects which are not in the commercial zone, I was part of many mainstream films in the South before that. All my regional films have been theatrical, commercial films. I have always aspired to do roles like Vishal sir, Vikramaditya (Motwane) sir or Ranjan Chandel offered me in Grahan. As an Indian, mainstream cinema is part of your life. Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, K3G…and now Jawan, all these films are part of your Indianness. I am glad that I could be a part of a film produced by Atlee, a director who has given the biggest hit in the history of Hindi cinema.

What is Wamiqa’s dream role? Is there a filmmaker she wants to work with?

There is so much. But I wish to tell you something. I’ve been a big fan of Devdas (2002) since childhood. There was a small TV in my room with a VCR and we had a Devdas video cassette. I used to watch it every day. One day, there was some problem in the TV screen. It stopped working. And I started listening to the audio of the entire film. I was so crazy about Devdas that I really wanted to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. And my first impression of films was with Imtiaz Ali in Jab We Met (2007). I cannot wait to work with him. Imagine I was in class 8, and he gave me his email ID. And we used to chat every six months through emails (laughs) - Hello Sir, how are you? When is the film (Jab We Met) releasing? (laughs). He used to reply to me every time. He used to call me Chhoti Saali (younger sister-in-law) as it was the role I played in the film. He asked me to finish my studies and then come to Mumbai. You know, when he came for Jubilee’s premier, it was such a beautiful, surreal moment for me. I later messaged him asking when we were working together again. He was very excited. I can’t wait to work with him again.

So, dreams do come true, don’t they?

Yes. There was a time when I was doing whatever role I was getting and now I am getting a chance to choose roles one after the other. Grahan, Mai, Jubilee, Charlie and Khufiya. I waited for so many years and it’s all happening together. I feel just grateful and blessed.

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