Jannat Zubair Rahmani didn’t want to become an actor. But it was her dad, businessman Zubair Ahmad Rahmani, who wanted to see her on screen. “It was my childhood dream to become an actor. But since that didn’t happen, I wanted her to fulfil my dream,” shares Zubair.

With no connections in the industry, Jannat admits that she faced challenges when she started out, but her dad helped her cope. “I had never been in front of the camera and I had no idea about the technicality of shoots or auditions. Before going for auditions, I would memorize all the lines. But the moment I would come in front of the camera, I’d forget them all. Daddy helped me overcome my nervousness,” says the 21-year-old.

To help his daughter, Zubair created a setup similar to an audition set for Jannat to practise. Cut to today, she has shows such as Phulwa and Bharat Ka Veer Putra - Maharana Pratap to her credit. “I am a proud and happy father,” he gushes.

But with fame and 46 million followers on Instagram come negativity and trolling. How does she deal with them? “I discuss everything with my dad and mum. During the lockdown, I remember receiving a lot of nasty comments. They were not just about me, but also my family. I asked my dad if something was wrong, so he explained how I shouldn’t get affected and just do my thing,” Jannat ends.