Trust Nav Bajwa to push beyond conventional Punjabi narratives. From science fiction in Raduaa to the romantic thriller Ishqaa and ensemble comedy Kitty Party , Bajwa has consistently experimented with genres while wearing multiple hats as actor, writer, director and producer.
With Advocate Chauhan, he takes another unconventional route, stepping into the title role of a visually impaired lawyer in a courtroom drama that blends legal battles with a deeply human story.
Joining him in this high-stakes drama is Himanshi Khurana, alongside Gurpreet Ghuggi and others. Written by Bajwa, the series draws inspiration from the true story of a remarkable woman lawyer, Aanchal Bhateja, whose journey prompted him to create the courtroom drama. Bajwa says he spent around 45-50 days developing the story and then working on the detailed screenplay.
The duo, both nursing injuries – Khurana with a fractured collarbone and Nav with an injured foot – showed no signs of slowing down. She arrived in a cast, while Nav sported Crocs, more out of necessity than fashion, but neither let the pain come in the way of talking about a project close to their hearts.
Directed by Varinder Ramgarhia, at the centre of the narrative is a battle of wills, with characters determined to prove themselves in a demanding professional world.
Seeing the world through Advocate Chauhan
Playing a visually impaired lawyer came with its own set of challenges for Bajwa. His character has an optic nerve condition that affects his vision, requiring the actor to find a way to physically inhabit a world he could not simply observe through his eyes.
The team experimented with several specialised lenses before settling on ones that blurred his vision by around 60-70 per cent. Bajwa wore them for long shooting days, sometimes for eight to 12 hours. Not able to see but to follow voice added dimension to the act. “When you love something and you have got so passionate about it, you don’t feel that it is difficult,” he says.
The actor also enjoyed the rare opportunity to concentrate solely on his performance. In recent years, he has often found himself juggling acting with writing, directing and production. Advocate Chauhan allowed him to step away from those responsibilities and focus completely on the character. “In this one, the thing which I love is that I was not directing it. I was just acting,” he says.
‘I fear nobody’: Himanshi Khurana
Himanshi plays a young lawyer who is confident yet vulnerable – moody and bubbly, shy and self-assured – but above all, determined to establish herself. “She really wants to prove herself,” Himanshi says of her character, who takes on the challenge of fighting against an established lawyer.
The model-actor-singer, called the ‘Aishwarya Rai of Punjab’ has been vocal about navigating the emotional and personal demands that come with being an artiste, and finding strength on the other side.
The actor has spoken openly about personal struggles, mental health and the pressures of being in an industry where one is constantly expected to look and perform a certain way. Looking back, she does not gloss over the difficulty. “It was tough,” she says. The High Standard hitmaker lost about 20kg weight and she levels it to mental game “Our health, whether physical or emotions, starts with the mind. I took it slow and steady. It took me about three years to look how I do today.”
She also points to the emotional demands placed on artistes. An actor has to summon tears, anger or joy on cue and then somehow step out of those emotions once the scene is over. “An artiste plays with his mind so much,” she says, describing the constant process of switching between emotions and characters.
For women, she believes, there is another layer of pressure – being expected to multitask while simultaneously taking care of their appearance, careers and personal lives. She is proud of the distance she has covered. “I’m so proud of the person I am today.” After navigating difficult phases her childhood trauma and health, Himanshi says she has emerged with a sense of confidence and fearlessness that she did not always possess. “I fear nobody right now. I’m very happy of who I am today,” she says.
Asked where she finds strength when life becomes difficult, her answer is equally direct: prayer. “Why should I ask people when I can ask God?” she says.
That resilience also connects with the character she plays in Advocate Chauhan – a woman unwilling to be intimidated by an established lawyer and determined to prove that she belongs in the courtroom.
A lively set and a hint of what’s next
Away from the courtroom, the camaraderie between the actors appears to have been one of the lighter aspects of the shoot. Bajwa describes Himanshi as someone who brings a spark to the set, while she recalls distributing candies to the cast and crew, much to the amusement – and occasional frustration – of those watching their diets.
For Bajwa, the series has also opened up the possibility of another chapter. Encouraged by the response to the trailer, he hopes viewers will connect with the story strongly enough for a second season or another instalment, and Bajwa hints at theatrical release.
As viewers, the two actors have their own courtroom favourites. Bajwa names Criminal Justice among his recent Indian favourites, while The Lincoln Lawyer remains his all-time pick. Himanshi chooses Pink.
As for Bajwa’s next experiment, he offers little more than a tantalising hint: “Apocalypse.”
For now, however, the spotlight remains on Advocate Chauhan – a story that gives Bajwa another opportunity to push Punjabi storytelling into a different space, while giving Himanshi a character whose determination to prove herself echoes, in some ways, the hard-won confidence she speaks about in her own life.