Pavleen Gujral comes from an impressive theatre background and has experience in law and computer science. She has carved a path for herself as a single mother in Bollywood.
Making her debut more than a decade ago, her filmography includes films and shows such as Alpha (2026), Gehraiyaan (2022), Marzi (2020), and City of Dreams (2019), with her latest project being Hunkkaar: The Roar (2026). She aspires to lead her own film one day, and that day may not be too far away, given her talent and calibre. Here are excerpts from the conversation.
Were you always aspirational towards acting?
I always wanted to become an actor and was good at theatre, but I belong to a very strict family where the children are expected to become lawyers, doctors, or engineers, and I wasn’t allowed to pursue the arts. In fact, I was selected for the first batch of Barry John’s acting school. So, I think it came late in life. I got married and all of that, and then these restrictions were lifted, so I finally got to choose. It was like the life of a woman in India.
And how are your parents about it now?
My mom is extremely happy and very proud. My dad still has his reservations, but that’s all right. I know he’s proud.
Who do you hold as an inspiration in the industry?
I look up to all the women who are mothers, are working later in life, and are still very relevant, like Kareena Kapoor and Shefali Shah. These are the people I relate to because they’ve been wives and mothers, taken care of household responsibilities, and are still pursuing what they love. They’re balancing everything beautifully. This is what I aim for… to do everything. The hunger should keep on increasing.
How was the transition from being in theatre to now joining the world of cinema?
Being a screen actor is actually slightly easier than being a theatre actor. I can also tell you that you need charisma and a spark to be a good screen actor. Not everyone has that in them. There’s a saying that some people are actors, and some people are stars. Sometimes you like watching a person on screen, but maybe you won’t like that person in a theatre, and vice versa.
People I’ve worked with, including Anil Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Alia Bhatt, are all super nice, helpful, grateful and humble. Even Aneet Padda. I worked with her twice, including on Big Girls Don’t Cry. She is lovely. When you meet her, you just realise that she’s going to go a long way because she’s very courteous and warm. She is bubbly but has a strong head on her shoulders.
That is very essential in this industry, right? Having a strong head on your shoulders.
I think having a strong head on your shoulders is more essential than anything else because the industry can get very intimidating. Ninety per cent of the time, you hear rejections. So, you’ve got to have that self-confidence that says, “No, if this person doesn’t want me, the next person will.”
Speaking about your daughter, does she have these moments of “Mom, you’re on TV”?
Yeah, she does! In fact, she talks about me to all her friends. She boasts about me at school, and she is in a hostel, so I never get to hear these things. She’s very proud, but she will never tell me. She loves talking about me to people and boasting about me. But she’s quite sorted, like she’s a good, good kid.
Right now, she has forced me to go to Lollapalooza in January because she wants to watch KATSEYE. Oh, that’s her current favourite. I have never been to a concert at Lollapalooza. But, yeah, I am taking her because she is a big fan of KATSEYE.
In Gehraiyaan, you played the mother of a complex character like Deepika Padukone’s? As a mother yourself, how challenging was it to get into character while not letting your parental instincts affect your headspace as an actor?
It was easy for me to get into the character because I myself was a mother at that time, but it was very hard to do the suicide scene. I remember when Shakun was directing that scene. The suicide scene took about three or four hours. After that, I was inconsolable. Shakun was trying to console me. I couldn’t get past it because can you imagine me doing this in front of my daughter? It just broke me. But that meant that the scene went well.
In Gehraiyaan, I was supposed to have just one scene. But Shakun was so happy with what he was getting that it turned into a few days’ job, and he increased the number of scenes and everything. I’m just waiting for that one big role. I want to play a lead, and I can feel that it’s going to happen soon.
You have the opportunity to make your own dream movie, be it the idea, the cast, or the director. What would that perfect film be for you?
If I had to make my own dream movie, I would want to direct it. But if I had a dream project to be a part of, it would be anything to do with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I am a massive fan of his. I think his movies are magical. His projects are just beyond reality. It’s the kind of fantasy world we all want to be part of. We all want to be beautiful and gracious and have the persona that he creates for women. He’s like the ultimate.