'Before Gadar 2, I was a nobody.'
'Once Gadar 2 happened, my director was like, you're meant for the movies, girl.'
Vivek Agnihotri's The Bengal Files is labelled as propaganda and widely criticised for polarising audiences, but lead actor Simratt Kaur Randhawa defends the film citing artistic freedom.
She plays Bharati Banerjee, a young woman who witnesses the violence unfolding around her.
The actor, who struck gold with her Hindi debut, the blockbuster Gadar 2, followed by the dud Vanvaas, is 'most excited' about people's reactions to The Bengal Files.
"I would like to know what people have to say about my performance. Please criticise my performance. Other than that, I don't want anything else," Simratt tells Mayur Sanap/Rediff.
How much did this story affect you?
I had no idea about Direct Action Day.
I was like, 'Vivek sir, yeh kya hai? Is it fiction?'
He was like, you need to go and read about history.
So on August 16, 1946, the Direct Action Day took place and the movie is based on that incident.
I had to do my research.
Why do you think this story needed to be told?
As a youngster, I had no idea about history, which is really bad.
Even though I am born in India and live in India, I had no idea about the things that had happened in India.
This movie is for youngsters. They need to know history.
Secondly, everyone in the movie has done an amazing job, like Mithun (Chakraborty) sir, Anupam (Kher) sir, Darshan (Kumar), Namashi (Chakraborty) and Pallavi (Joshi) ma'am. Watch it for the performances.
Vivek Agnihotri is known for his strong opinions. Do you agree with his ideology?
As creative people, we all have right to show and present whatever we feel like.
Obviously, it needs to be observed under government and the legalities, which have been done for his movies.
WATCH: Simratt on her toughest scene in The Bengal Files.
Vivek Agnihotri recently said he is getting death threats for making this movie. Have you faced such negativity as well?
No. I think everybody has a right to say, good or bad.
I would like to know what people have to say about my performance.
Please criticise my performance. Other than that, I don't want anything else.
Gadar 2 was a blockbuster, but we didn't see you in many projects after that.
Before Gadar 2, I was a nobody.
I did not want to become an actor.
I was not even trying to get movies. It just happened.
Once Gadar 2 happened, my director was like, you're meant for the movies, girl.
After that, I never looked back.
How much did Gadar 2 change your life?
It changed everything for me. Everything!
Till August, 10, 2023, I was Simratt.
From August 11, people started me calling Muskaan.
They still know me as Muskaan.
It changed my life.
I never thought I'd be doing movies in Bollywood. Now, I'm here with my third film.
WATCH: Simratt on how everything changed for her
How tough it is to get work in the industry if you have no connections?
It is difficult. When you have no contacts, you don't know how to walk the path.
There's a lot of struggle.
This is not a field where you can get work easily. Even if you belong to the industry, they still struggle.
If you're an outsider, you have to take two extra trains.
How did you deal with the lows in your career?
I live by this quote: 'When the heartline goes straight, you die. It must go up and down.'
The low days give me the strength to push back and go up.
I love my lows because they give me ups.
© 2025