The actress, who wrote her first verses while on a flight a few years ago, recently overcome initial apprehensions to share her work with the world
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 11, 2020)

Almost a decade after becoming an actress, Nushrat Bharucha is ready to share another one of her talents with the world. On World Poetry Day last month, she posted one of her compositions on Instagram, “Tum jaisi aadat chhod bhi doon... Khud ko khote hue hi sahi...Jhooth ki aankh mein hans bhi doon...Sach pehchaante hue hi sahi... Saath hone ka ehsaas dila do agar... Woh nazar humaare naam kar do agar... Sab se churaate hue hi sahi... ”

Nushrat reveals that she has been writing for around three years now and has all the verses saved on her phone. “Initially, I didn’t know if they were any good, so I was wary of posting them. I am very sensitive and shy about my writing,” she says, admitting that it was the encouragement of her poet-friends, including Dream Girl co-actor Ayushmann Khurrana, that gave her the courage to put out some of her couplets online, starting with one on Valentine’s Day and another on Women’s Day. “My confidence is building up with each one,” she laughs.

The actress admits that she was nervous about audience reaction. “I know that shayaris speak only to a few people, that’s why I am taking baby steps,” says Nushrat, adding that she writes inbetween work. “My work requires me to travel a lot. Once, on a flight, everyone around was either reading or watching films and shows. That’s when I started writing. Strangely, all my poems have been written on flights.”

Her grandfather was a shayar and her aunt has inherited his talent, too. “Around three years ago, I made my aunt read some of my writings to get a book of hers so that I could improve my Urdu. I sat by a window, watching her, as she read them. She gave me the book without a comment on my work and my heart sank,” Nushrat reminisces, admitting that in retrospect, she realises it was a good move. “We’re close and if my aunt had said something, I wouldn’t have been able to find my own way and reach here today; she was my first audience.”

The actress is happy to be with her family during lockdown. She chats with her grandmother over coffee in the morning and naps post lunch. “That’s a family ritual, even my cat sleeps in the afternoon,” she chuckles. After that, it’s time to organise her cupboard. Sometimes, she has late-night conversations with her dadi about ghazals.

Nushrat is also honing another talent-colouring. “I can’t draw or paint, but I love colours. So, I’ve bought an adult colouring book. It helps me switch off while being creative. It’s a great way to combat stress as the colouring is intricate,” she informs, admitting that she couldn’t go to the gym in the evenings but has now started working out over video calls with her trainer.

Her next film, Chhalaang, was to release in March, so she hadn’t given dates to any other films in that period. “We were planning to shoot Hurdang in March, but seeing the Coronavirus spread, it was put on hold,” she recounts, adding that she decided early into the pandemic to not go outside Mumbai and consequently, had to let go of many offers.

Chhalaang reunites her with Rajkummar Rao; both started their careers with Love Sex Aur Dhokha (LSD). “After LSD, I was shooting for Pyaar Ka Punchnama in Delhi and Raj for another film. We promised each other that we’d work together again soon. When Chhalaang started, it felt surreal as it took us 10 years to live out our dream,” she signs off.