‘Nakhrewaalii’ Actress Pragati Srivastava Opens Up About Working with Punjabi Filmmaker Jagdeep Sidhu on Her Next Hindi Release!
Ahead of a busy 2027 slate that includes Prakash Jha’s ‘Janadesh’ and Maddock Films’ untitled comedy-thriller alongside Vedang Raina and Naomika Saran, the actress reflects on how language and cultural nuance shape on-screen emotion.
After winning hearts with her Bollywood debut in Aanand L Rai’s recent production Nakhrewaalii, actress Pragati Srivastava is gearing up for an exciting 2027 lineup. Following earlier work in Telugu cinema, the rising star has already locked in two distinct Hindi projects for the coming year: filmmaker Prakash Jha’s political drama Janadesh—co-starring Ishwak Singh, Rahul Bose, and Tusshar Kapoor—and an untitled comedy-thriller backed by Maddock Films, which pairs her alongside Vedang Raina and debutante Naomika Saran. Potentially stepping into the role of one of Raina’s love interests in the Maddock outing, Srivastava had warm words for her co-star, noting, “Vedang is a sweet person to work with.”
The untitled comedy-thriller marks fresh creative territory not only for Srivastava, but also for acclaimed Punjabi filmmaker Jagdeep Sidhu (Qismat, Sufna), who makes his Hindi directorial debut with the project. Collaborating with Sidhu gave Srivastava a deeper appreciation for the subtleties of language and how regional sensibilities transform the rhythm of a performance.
Reflecting on the experience, Pragati Srivastava shared, “Jagdeep sir has helmed Punjabi films. I could see how he thinks in Punjabi and wants the emotions to be expressed in a certain way. When you translate something, the essence changes. So, when we would get the script, [the Hindi dialogues] would be written in English and would sound different to us. But when Jagdeep sir would tell us how to say those lines, it would sound entirely different.”
With Janadesh eyeing a release in the first half of 2027 and the Maddock Films comedy-thriller bringing together a fresh ensemble cast, audiences are keen to see how Pragati Srivastava builds on her promising Bollywood start in the year ahead.
By Keerti Kadam