Dubai is exciting and peaceful at the same time: Himanshi Khurana

Dubai is fast becoming a favourite hangout for celebrities; post the Covid lockdown in India, many have flocked to the city for reasons as varied as celebrating a honeymoon (Neha Kakkar and Rohanpreet Singh), enjoying a laidback vacation (Gurmeet Choudhury and Debina Bonnerjee) or even, as in the case of actress-singer Himanshi Khurana, combining a birthday celebration with work.

Himanshi, famous for her stint on Bigg Boss 13, and appearing in Punjabi films like Sadda Haq and 2 Bol, is also an accomplished singer who has lent her voice to tracks like High Standard and Ohdi Shreaam and was one of the most mentioned music artists on Twitter for 2020.

Himanshi recently shot two music videos in Dubai and City Times caught up with her to find out more.

What can you tell us about your music videos shot in Dubai?

One is a song written for me by Bunty Bains, with music by The Kidd. The second is with singer Saajz with whom I have already worked in the past on Allah Khair Rakhe. Both songs are directed by Sandeep Sharma and have showcased some really interesting looks that I have never tried before.

What are your thoughts on Dubai - do you travel here often?

Being in Dubai gives me peace. It is exciting and peaceful at the same time. I have been consistently travelling to Dubai at this time of the year, for three years now. In 2018, I was shooting in Dubai; last year I came there around Diwali before entering the Bigg Boss house, and this year I was shooting my upcoming music videos and enjoyed a little vacation also.

You gifted yourself a lovely diamond ring for your birthday (November 27) from a Dubai jeweller, as we saw on Instagram. How did you spend your birthday this year?

Yes, I got myself this gorgeous diamond ring this birthday from Dubai, and I am so happy about it. This year my birthday was truly amazing. I had celebrated it in Mohali, but then my family and friends had been planning a surprise for a while, and they made sure I didn’t even get a hint about it. I even tried to bribe my team so that they would spill the beans, but hard luck, I have some tough lads working with me. In the end, I got an overwhelming surprise from my family and friends and had an amazing birthday celebration in Dubai.

How did you feel about travelling during the pandemic, and how did you spend the lockdown time in India?

Travelling in this time is really difficult as we have to wear a face mask, face shield, and the PPE kit too, and it gets very suffocating sometimes. And for a year now, I have this issue of low BP because of flight turbulence. So I have travelled for work in the pandemic, but it surely isn’t desirable. And as far as the lockdown goes, it was quite boring for me. Though I was doing a lot of digital work and also tried getting myself involved in household chores, indoor games, cooking, and watching TV, the constant feeling of missing the outside world was always there.

What can you tell us about your future projects?

I have shot two songs in Dubai. I will be shooting another song in Punjab, and we are in talks for a Punjabi film also, and we might start shooting for it at the beginning of 2021. The location will be outside India so right now, we are figuring that out.

You have been very vocal in your support of farmers’ issues in India - do you feel more celebrities should speak up on the same?

Mostly all Punjabi celebrities are supporting farmers, and I have always stood up for what’s right especially if it is about Punjab as I am deeply connected to my roots. Many Bollywood celebrities like Parineeti Chopra, Priyanka Chopra, and Sonam Kapoor are coming forward and have started raising their voices. People have started understanding the issue that the government is unable to come up with a solution, leading to the continuous suffering of farmers. We surely need some amendments and the farmers are completely right on their part; I hope our government will set a true example of India being a democratic country and not a dictatorship.

As a former Bigg Boss participant what are your thoughts on the current season?

To be honest, I haven’t watched this year’s Bigg Boss as when it started I was occupied with my work and back-to-back shoots. I have been travelling so much for different projects that I didn’t get a chance. Though I know who all are participating, I am not aware of what is going on in the game!

Do you have a message for your fans here in the UAE?

The people of the UAE are so loving and welcoming. I have always received immense love and appreciation from my fans in the UAE. Thank you for making me feel at home. This is my way of giving back some love - for two of the songs I recently shot in Dubai my looks are inspired by the fashion of the UAE, and I hope you guys will love it!