Kulwinder Kaur Kainth caught up with Miss India USA 2013 & Miss India worldwide 2014, Monica Gill. She will be appearing in her first debut film Ambersaryia along side Diljit Dosanjh.  Read more to find about her journey so far. 

How are you feeling for the release of your upcoming film?

I’m a bit nervous. It’s my debut film but it was the second film that I shot for. I feel that I grew into an actress through this film and I hope the audience really sees that. It took a lot of effort to create that kind of growth. Over all it’s a beautiful film with many different characters. Each audience member will find at least one character which they find endearing.

So tell us how did you get the role in the film?

Well, I came to India in March 2014 after winning Miss India USA 2013 and then I won Miss India Worldwide in June of 2014. Early September I met with Kumar Tuarani of Tips and Mandeep Kumar, our director. When I met them, I didn’t even know that they were planning a movie. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. They gave me an official offer October of 2014. And the rest is history.

So tell us about your character in the film?

My character’s name is Keerat. She studies at Khalsa College and loves to dance. She’s a bubbly young girl with a quick temper and she thinks she’s the best thing since sliced bread. She has a tough exterior and she rarely let’s anyone in. But we see her softer side as she goes through a beautiful transformation through the film.

What was your experience working alongside Diljit?

Diljit Ji is an amazing actor. He has fine-tuned his skills to the point that no matter what is happening around him, his reactions are always on point. For me as a new comer this was the best thing that could have possibly happened to me.

When your co-actor is always on point, you automatically are able to react appropriately. He was able to pull that from me. Offsets he’s a very chilled out person and he makes everyone around him feel comfortable.

Did you incur any difficulties during the shoots?

No, the shooting of Ambarsariya was the smoothest I’ve ever been on. Mandeep Ji, our director, is an extremely organised and thorough person. Theres no detail that he overlooks. He had me trained and ready to go by the time I got on set.  

The only thing that threw me off slightly was that we were shooting my climax scene, which was the most intense one in the film, first. This was before I had met Diljit Ji and built rapport with him. I was so nervous, but somehow the nervous energy worked in my favour, and of course the one above pulled me through.

What would be your favourite song and scene in the film?

My favourite song in the film is Pagg Wala Munda. It’s a song which really celebrates the beauty of the Turbaned man. Coming from a Sardar household, its a beautiful thing to see that. I hope to see many more such songs in the future. It’ll be a good influence on our youngsters.

My favourite scene would be the one I mentioned above. Simply because its beautiful. When the audience sees it, they’ll agree as well. And when I shot for this film, it was the most emotionally demanding scene I had done to date.

So what is in the pipeline for Monica Gill?

Well I have Ambarsariya coming out on March 25th, Kaptaan with Gippy Ji releasing on May 20th and The Return of Sardar Ji, also with Diljit Ji, releasing on June 24th. And after that, you’ll have to wait and see. ;) 

You have been awarded as Miss India USA 2013 and Miss India Worldwide 2014, how was the experience? Since winning these pageants what opportunities have you had? 

The experience was fantastic. I feel like I have another family with Dharmatma Saran and the Worldwide Pageants Organisation with members in over 41 countries around the world. I got a lot of recognition after I won these titles.

Like I said before, I ended up moving to India after winning Miss India USA and then I was living here when I acquired the international title.

It really gave me the extra oomph I needed to set myself apart from others. Plus the confidence you get from winning a crown is unparalleled. 

Has acting been a passion? Have you been trained? 

I was working in Pharmaceuticals when I won my pageants and decided to move to India. I did not come with the intent to become an actress. I had come to take a year off and to see what Bombay had to offer me. It just so happened that I landed up with Tips. When I came to Bombay, I did join an acting school, which helped me a lot, but my primary training came from my director, Mandeep Ji, who really fine-tuned my ability. Being in an acting school and being on set are two very different experiences. 

What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years?

Time, Destiny and God work in miraculous ways. Whatever life has in store for me I’ll graciously accept it.

How do you feel to be a part of a growing industry?

It’s a great feeling. Punjabi Cinema has taken a great leap forward in the lest 5 - 6 years and it’s a beautiful thing to see. The films that are coming out now are touching on great subjects and truly are making a bang at the box office.

And for that we have the audiences to thank. They have really come forward and supported us. Punjabi Cinema would have gotten no where had Punjabi Audiences, not only from Punjab but more so from abroad, come forward and really given it that push that it needed.

Message to the Simplybhangra.com fans?

Hey guys, thanks for taking the time out and reading this interview and for all the support SimplyBhangra has given.  Please come out and see my debut film, Ambarsariya that comes out on March 25th!

Sending loads of love and positives vibes your way!