In the quiet, emotionally charged world of Shabad – Reet Aur Riwaaz, Taranjit Kaur delivers a performance that resonates deeply with anyone who has ever had to choose between tradition and dreams. Playing the role of Manjot, a mother caught in the crossfire of a father-son conflict, Taranjit isn’t just a supporting character but she is also the soul of the story.
We sat down with the versatile actress to discuss her journey from the international stage to this web series, and why this role felt like an extension of her own life.
In This Article
The Power of the Mother’s Stand
The series explores the tension between a father (Suvinder Vicky) who wants his son (Mihir Ahuja) to follow the Gurdwara tradition and a son who dreams of being a footballer. Taranjit explains that while her character, Manjot, starts as the family’s balancing force, she eventually undergoes a powerful transformation.
She shared, “The mother character is very powerful… she’s the anchor of the family. When she feels her husband’s not empathizing with her son’s struggles, he also has a stammer, she takes a stand. When a mother takes a stand, there’s no turning back.”
A Real-Life Connection
For Taranjit, playing Manjot wasn’t just about acting but it was also about honouring her roots and her own mother. Growing up in a Punjabi household where Shabad and Kirtan were daily rituals, she brought an authentic touch to the set, even helping the production ensure the Sikh traditions were portrayed accurately.
She revealed, “I completely had my mom in mind when I was portraying this. She is exactly like that, always creating a balance between us children and my father. My sister and I chose theatre over conventional fields, and my mother had to make the family agree to let us follow our dreams.”
On-Set Chemistry and The Punjab Connection
Taranjit also talked about how working alongside seasoned actors like Suvinder Vicky and young talents like Mihir Ahuja made the experience feel less like a shoot and more like a homecoming.
She laughed pointing at the not-so-big age difference, “Mihir and Mahi were such a joy to work with. They were almost treating me like a mother!” She added, “With Suvinder Vicky, we both come from Chandigarh and have common friends. That created a comfort level that shows in the silences and the chemistry on screen.”
A Journey of Method and Grit Through Theatre
Taranjit is no stranger to hardcore preparation. From her debut in the Oscar-winning short film Raju to the BAFTA-nominated Mouth of Hell, where she famously stayed without water for 15 days to look the part of a coal miner, she relies heavily on her 20-plus years of theatre training.
Despite the international accolades, she remains candid about the struggles of the industry, saying “It has been a difficult journey in the last 10 years… the struggle has been that a lot of projects don’t release immediately. But theatre gives you the discipline to keep practicing your skills, just like a doctor.”
Telling Stories of Midlife and Queer Love
Beyond the screen, Taranjit is making waves in theatre with her play, The Chai Queens, which has won awards globally for its portrayal of queer love in later life. For her, it was vital to address the lack of representation for women in their 40s.
She explained, “Once you reach your 40s, you are constantly approached to play a mother or a supporting character. There is not good representation of either queer people or people in their midlife. I wanted to tell a love story of people who have already reached their midlife. It’s a story of female friendships and how we lose ourselves when we grow up under societal pressure.”
Poetry as a Purpose
Taranjit’s creative expression isn’t limited to acting since she is also a celebrated poet whose work has reached millions. For her, poetry is a bridge between the roles she plays and her authentic voice as an artist.
She shared, “I felt as an artist, I had a voice and I wanted to project that voice to reach out to millions of women. Whether it’s about abuse, body shaming, or self-love, if I can empower one person to take a stand for their own freedom, I feel I have done my duty. My father always said you come into this world with a purpose, I think storytelling is mine.”
What’s Next?
Taranjit is currently rehearsing for theatre while preparing for the release of Ikatthe with Barun Sobti and the series Jail Diaries, where she plays a convict. She also hopes to eventually collaborate with directors like Anurag Kashyap, Sriram Raghavan and Vishal Bhardwaj, who are known for creating intriguing female characters.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: filmfare.com
