Exclusive! Carry On Jatta 3 actress Sonam Bajwa: Doing a Bollywood film cannot be the parameter of my success

Sonam Bajwa is a prominent name in the Punjabi film industry, having starred in multiple successful films over the years. Yet she is often asked why she is not trying her luck in Bollywood. She opened up about this in an exclusive chat with OTTplay. 

Sonam said, "I want to do Hindi films, but doing a Bollywood film cannot be the parameter by which people judge my success. In the past, I have said that I should not do Bollywood films because that is the ultimate achievement that everyone dreams of. I do not look at it like that. Of course, I want to do a good Bollywood film because it will help me expand my audience. But for that, I do not want to just appear in a 10-second-long role that is forgettable. I won't feel convinced or satisfied doing something like that. I am not saying that the length of the character matters, but the strength surely does. As an actress who has been working in Punjabi films, if I do not get a chance to do something different in Hindi films, then why should I do it?"

Sonam made her acting debut with the film Best Of Luck in 2013 and gained popularity with commercially successful films like Sardaar Ji 2, Manje Bistre, Carry On Jatta 2, Honsla Rakh, and Godday Godday Chaa, among others.

Sonam, who made two small appearances in Hindi films like Bala and Street Dancer 3D, said that most of the time she gets offered glam-doll roles, whereas she wants to explore performance-oriented, substantial roles.

"Since I was a model and have a glamorous onscreen image, people cannot imagine me beyond that. Not all casting directors have watched my Punjabi films in which I have played the lead. So, the perception is that I am a glam doll. It took me five years to break that image in the Punjabi film industry before I got solo lead roles in films. I have also understood from my experience that appearing in songs will not take me anywhere. I would rather give more auditions for good acting assignments. I have appeared in Bollywood songs, but that did not help with my career growth," shared the actress.

It is interesting to note that Sonam auditioned for Aamir Khan's Laal Singh Chaddha many years ago. Aamir was a guest at the trailer launch of Carry On Jatta 3, during which he recalled her audition video.

When asked if she would want to do a Bollywood film with Aamir, Sonam said, "I was actually surprised that he remembered me from the audition because I had never interacted with him before the trailer launch. I admire Aamir Khan, but I am too shy to approach someone and say, 'Sir, I want to work with you'. It is a drawback that I am working on. Having said that, I have been working hard to make a space for myself for over 10 years, and I have managed to do that in the Punjabi film industry. So, I am hopeful that I will get the right opportunity with a good Bollywood project very soon."

Carry On Jatta 3, produced by and starring Gippy Grewal, will be released in theatres on June 30.