Podcasts · ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash

EP-454 | Nimrat Kaur on Losing Her Father to Terrorism, Military Life, Dhurandhar & Bollywood

30 Sep 2026 · 1 h 15 min · Episode 454

Nimrat Kaur is an actor known for her performances in The Lunchbox, Airlift, Dasvi, Homeland and The Family Man. She has worked in both Indian cinema and international television, playing a wide range of roles, from a lonely housewife to a spy.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, she talks about her journey from modelling to films, and why she refused to be typecast after The Lunchbox. She also opens up about losing her father to terrorism in Kashmir, her mother’s strength, working in Hollywood, social media pressure and her life away from the screen.

00:00 – Introduction

01:22 – Success After The Lunchbox

04:20 – How Homeland Happened

05:27 – Avoiding Typecasting

10:35 – Working with Irrfan Khan

13:14 – Being Raised by a Single Mother

15:53 – Her Father’s Kidnapping and Assassination

20:01 – Filming Homeland

24:38 – Indian vs International Film Sets

26:31 – Paparazzi and Social Media

31:14 – PR Agencies

34:15 – Breaking the ‘Sanskari’ Image

40:00 – Growing Up in a Military Family

41:45 – Do Men Feel Intimidated by Thinking Actresses?

43:43 – Working with Amitabh Bachchan

45:42 – Spirituality, Solitude and Staying Grounded

49:22 – Dealing with Impostor Syndrome

52:14 – Artificial Intelligence in Filmmaking

54:24 – Body Image and Changing Perceptions

55:19 – Playing a Spy in The Family Man

55:38 – Akshay Kumar and On-Set Prank Stories

58:23 – Friendships in the Film Industry

1:00:08 – Auditions and Screen Tests

1:02:20 – Indian Actors and Hollywood

1:04:36 – Dhurandhar and Authentic Spy Films

1:09:50 – Role Models and Her Acting Dream

1:11:56 – Relationships and Staying Authentic

1:14:50 – Conclusion

The episode on the publisher’s site ↗ (opens in a new tab)