ELLE Digital Cover Star: Wamiqa Gabbi, The Girl Who Writes Her Own Script

Her story begins, fittingly, like a scene from a film. “My father tells this story from when I was born: I was just 15 minutes old, in his arms. Most babies have their eyes shut or are crying. But mine were wide open, scanning the room, thumb in mouth. That’s when he knew I was a drama queen,” laughs Wamiqa Gabbi. The moment feels telling—capturing her this-is-who-I-am spiritand foregrounds the audacious, bold, dreamy-eyed woman she is today. Acting is all she’s ever wanted—all she’s ever known. “There was never another option,” she says simply.

When I ask if she’s manifested her dream, she pauses. “I don't know. Sometimes I think the dreams that came true were simply the ones I always knew I wanted. But I wasn’t manifesting them consciously—I just kept working towards them. The things I have consciously manifested—made mood boards for—haven’t really worked out. You’re not letting the universe do its magic; you are setting limits that can block the full scope of your dreams. Maybe the universe wants something bigger for you.”

“Before ‘manifestation’ became popular, people simply called it ‘prayer’—and they’re essentially the same. I think that was better, to be honest,” she smiles.

Her love affair with the arts came first from her father, who had always wanted to pursue something in entertainment. As the eldest son, however, responsibility took precedence. “But he always wanted us to be connected to the arts, so he used to take us to the theatre for plays and movies, and would tell us stories either from his books or ones he loved,” says Gabbi. 

Stories, she believes, make us who we are and take us where we want to be. Her biggest life lessons came from her father’s storytelling. “I remember learning about empathy during a vacation to our grandparents’ village. My brother Hardik and I often spent time in a shed on our fields, sitting on a cot while our father narrated a novel. It was about a naughty kid punished by being locked in a black room and forgotten. Though not a sad story overall, the ending moved us to tears,” she recalls, her voice tinged with nostalgia.

The best lesson, however, was the importance of fearlessness. “It’s almost vital that any artist is fearless, because only then can you take risks and go beyond what’s on the page or script.” And go beyond the script, she most certainly did. She took on every opportunity headfirst. “You know the saying, ‘Any port in a storm’? That’s what the beginning of my career looked like,” she says. All she wanted was that one audition to prove herself. “And I truly believe doing that has enhanced my craft and made me more intuitive about the projects I choose.

I believe in magic, so during narration, if I feel a spark or it touches my heart, that’s a green signal. And then of course, the audition—it gives the director a chance to see you as that character, which is quite powerful.”

She honed her craft so much that little else mattered—she’s proudly “the girl you’ve seen somewhere but can’t remember where” (as her Instagram bio reads). Think Jab We Met (2007), where she played Geet’s cousin, or 83 (2021), as Annu Lal, Madan Lal’s wife. You won’t be able to unsee her unignorable presence.

Though she’d always like to remain that girl, Gabbi is no longer playing on the sidelines. Since her 2007 debut, she’s worked across Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu cinema, playing leading roles in Tu Mera 22 Main Tera 22(2013), Sixteen(2013) and the Malayalam film Godha (2017), which earned her a ‘Best Debut Actor’ award.

Yet in an industry that’s unforgiving, chaotic and ever-changing, highs are a relief, lows inevitable, and it’s easy to lose your way. In 2019, Gabbi even considered quitting. “My father always told me to choose a profession that makes me happy. But I wasn’t happy. I was disillusioned by the work I was doing. I had lost touch with my craft,” she says.

“I found meaning again during my first acting workshop with Atul Mongia,” she recalls. The moment she reconnected with her craft, she was unstoppable. Cinema became her playground. “It’s a joyride and I never want to get off it!” She has since earned critical acclaim for Modern Love Mumbai(2022) and as a 'tawaif' in Jubilee (2023). Today, her acting is deeply layered, and her choices reflect a responsibility to the audience and a desire to play characters that linger in the mind. “I believe everyone is flawed, and characters should have flaws. But glorifying them? That’s a problem. Such behaviour should never be glorified. I’ve been influenced by many icons because the characters they play reflect their sensibilities.

Robert De Niro once said an actor’s talent lies in their choices—it reveals so much about personality and character. As public figures, especially in India, where actors are idolised, we have a responsibility.”

Off-screen, Gabbi embraces emotional resonance. She’s an admitted philophile—someone who loves love. It’s how her online alter ego ‘Premiqa’ was born, inspired by the song ‘Premika Ne Pyaar Se’ from Jhankar Beats (2003). Premiqa is a happy-go-lucky romantic, celebrating life’s big little moments—a reminder that love is constant.

“I have this one perspective on life—ki pyaar kabhi khatam nahin hona chahiye. The majority of my heart should be filled with love, whether I’m 18 or 90. I want to be my own Premiqa,” she says.

Legacy, she insists, means little to her. “It’s a selfish way of giving yourself value. I’d rather be remembered as a good person, someone who made the world better and spread love.”

As our conversation closes, I ask how she defines love. She smiles. “I was always confused about love. Then I read Osho: Love is the ultimate state of freedom. Love should make you feel free—completely free, without fears or burdens. That’s love to me.”

Editorial Director: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Photographer: Simone Gandhi; Stylist: Eka Lakhani rep by Entourage Talents; Creative Production: Tania Bath; Makeup: Coco; Hair: Forum Gotecha represented by Entourage Talents; Words by: Maahi Shah; Artist Reputation Management: Jio Creative Labs