A musician at heart and an actor by profession is how Khushali Kumar perceives herself. She is seamlessly juggling the two identities — after launching her new single Khushi jab bhi teri with Jubin Nautiyal, Kumar has kicked off the shoot of Dedh Bigha Zameen in Uttar Pradesh. “I can’t say acting is my first love, but it was definitely love at first sight. I have admired artistes who are at ease while portraying characters that they believe in. That inspired me to live different lives through each role,” says Kumar, who shares screen space with Pratik Gandhi in the Hansal Mehta-backed drama.

The first look of the film, which revolves around the struggles of the common man, sees her in a de-glam avatar. “I’m using this opportunity to break free from the quintessential glamorous image. I’m excited to collaborate with Pratik because he understands the nuances of acting.”

The Pulkit-directed film comes on the back of a yet-untitled psychological thriller led by R Madhavan. The singer-actor, who recently wrapped up the thriller, says she is enjoying the process of familiarising herself with a different universe through each project. She states, “The characters I am portraying are different from my personality. So, it’s [exciting] to discover an unexplored world.”