ELLE Digital Cover Star: Nushrratt Bharuccha Is In No Rush. She’s Already Arrived.

There’s a particular kind of chaos that sets in when a shoot runs past midnight. The coffee goes cold, cables tangle at the edges of the frame, and everyone’s checking the clock—but not when Nushrratt Bharuccha is on set. Somewhere between the third and fourth look change, her energy began to climb. While most would’ve wrapped, she was running on instinct and curiosity. She asked to try more angles. She wanted to see the raw shots. She wanted to do another take—not because something wasn’t working, but because something was still unfolding.

A decadent five-star suite in Mumbai had transformed from a location into a space of performance. Not the performative kind, but the sort that crackles just under the surface—small movements that telegraph something deeper. In one moment, she was slipping into a structured corset; in another, she was padding across the marble floor barefoot, hair slightly undone, still camera-ready. There was no rush to become anyone else. If anything, she was unravelling towards herself.

“I’ve always been someone who’s acted first and reflected later,” she says, when we speak after the shoot. “I’ve always been instinctive, impulsive and driven by sheer gut.” Her career has followed the same pattern—spontaneous, persistent, shaped more by energy than strategy. But something shifted after Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. “I gave that film everything I had. And it was only after its success—both box office and critical—that I realised I wasn’t waiting to be chosen anymore. I had chosen myself.”

She doesn’t say it with bravado. She says it like someone who has quietly moved past the need for affirmation. Like someone who has outgrown the urgency to explain how she got here.

The Style That Stuck

Fashion was threaded through the shoot, but it never took over. Her relationship with style isn’t theatrical. It’s personal, lived-in, and full of intention. “Style for me is first and foremost about self-expression,” she says. “For who I was, who I am, and who I wish to be.” Over time, she’s pushed past her comfort zone—new silhouettes, new textures—and it’s shaped how she presents herself, both onscreen and off. “It’s become much more than just fashion. It’s almost a second skin now, like a best friend one can lean on, confide in and draw strength from.”

Still, this fluency with fashion isn’t about hiding. She dresses to connect. “Style is my love language,” she explains, “and the way I connect with my audience.”

And the connection is real. She recalls a moment in 2020, at an award show, when her now-iconic emerald green slit gown became an unexpected style pivot. “I was running terribly late because of Chhalaang promotions, and I hadn’t planned a look in advance. We picked a dress I hadn’t worn yet, kept the hair simple, makeup minimal… there was no plan for that look,” she laughs. “But it went viral. That night really felt like a turning point in my style journey.”

Past The Proving Point

It’s easy to place Bharuccha in the familiar arc of underdog-turned-mainstream. But she doesn’t see herself that way anymore. “Like everyone else in this space, proving my talent was non-negotiable when I started. But looking back now, I wonder why young, untested actors aren’t offered more opportunities to prove themselves.” She isn’t bitter. She’s just practical about the hierarchy. “Some people get those chances early. Others have to fight a little harder. I’ve always been open to auditioning—and I still am—but I don’t feel the need to prove who I am anymore. That’s truly liberating.”

That liberation doesn’t mean complacency. It just means that the motivation has shifted from approval to alignment. “I only want to focus on doing the kind of work that is fulfilling to me now.”

Even the concept of reinvention—a buzzword in the industry—doesn’t quite appeal. “I’ve always believed in steadily staying the course,” she says. “While reinvention is necessary to stay relevant, refinement holds its own power too.” She’s not chasing shock value. She’s committed to longevity. “Instead of making drastic shifts, I’ve chosen to keep working consistently, constantly trying to improve my work little by little.”

The Wins That Stay Quiet

Not every win comes with fanfare—and those are the ones that matter most to her now. “Nothing beats the thrill of loud, visible box office success,” she admits. “But when no one else is watching, a win for me is very different. It’s in the quiet validation—a thoughtful review, a kind message from someone I deeply respect, or praise from people close to me who would never sugarcoat the truth.”

That private applause is enough. It reminds her that she’s not just building a résumé. She’s building a body of work.

She knows there are still perceptions to challenge. “One misconception I’ve definitely outgrown is that I can only play the light-footed, rom-com girl I began my career with,” she says. “The shift may have happened quietly, but taking on projects like LSD: Love, Sex Aur Dhokha (2010), Chhorii (2021), Akelli (2023), Janhit Mein Jaari (2022), and Ajeeb Daastaans (2021)—those weren’t subtle moves. They were careful choices that allowed me to explore different facets of myself as an actor.”

When asked what she sees in her own reflection these days, her answer is immediate. “Passion and determination. I see a woman who has never, and will never, stop giving it her all.” There’s clarity in her voice. Not ambition for its own sake—but resolve. “These are the qualities that have carried me through every challenge.”

She doesn’t believe in grand arrivals. She prefers the quiet ones. “Too big a deal is made of ‘arriving’ somewhere,” she says. “The moment that always wins is watching your audience laugh when you laugh and cry when you cry, on screen. I’ve slipped into theatres just to stand at the back and watch how people react. That honest, unfiltered connection? That’s the moment. And that’s entirely mine.”

Team Credits:

Editorial Director: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Makeup: AarfEEn Petiwala; Hair: Baljeet Chuman; Jr. Bookings Editor: Anushka Patil; Assisted By: Ridhima Shetty (Styling), Sneh Lad (Bookings); Artist Reputation Management: Idhyah Media; Location Courtesy: JW Marriott Juhu