Sibling revelry

Manika Ahuja 

It is a fact universally acknowledged; more often than not, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Well, one look at Rubina Bajwa, sister of one of the most-loved actresses of the Punjabi entertainment industry Neeru Bajwa, and one cannot help but notice that it is her ‘sister’ that the young debutante seems to have taken after to a greater degree!

The two seem to share a lot of similarities. So, when Rubina, who is all set to make her debut with the soon-to-be-released Punjabi movie Sargi, came calling to Chandigarh with her co-actors Jassie Gill and Babbal Rai in tow, many a whisper was heard — “she looks and sounds so much like her sister Neeru Bajwa!” 

Sisterly affair

Ah, the uncanny resemblance aside, there are more things than one that link the two! What other reason could explain the sudden swerve of the young lass - from reading to become a teacher, straight into the world of glitz and glamour? So, who played the fountainhead of inspiration? Hear it from Rubina, “Although I always had the idea of becoming an actress at the back of my head, I had never charted out a concrete plan to actually become one. The reason being — I am way too shy by nature. But when Neeru flew in to Canada, with Diljit Dosanjh and rest of the cast and crew of the film Jatt and Juliet... is when the acting bug bit me in the real sense! I used to accompany her to the sets and witnessed the nitty-gritties of shooting. So, she is the fountainhead of inspiration for sure.”

Balanced approach 

While it is quite normal to witness an actor experiencing the typical ‘debut jitters’, surprisingly, this admittedly ‘shy girl’ seems quite at ease. “Yes. Although shyness is a part of my nature, I have learnt to let it go.” As for her expectations, the Canada-born actress shares, “I have given it my best shot, and hope that the audiences shower me with as much love as they bestowed (and continue to bestow) on my sister.”   

Well done 

This is something that every star kid with a visible Godfather, or in this case Godsister, goes through... “Seeing Neeru’s name as the film’s director, people automatically presume that getting this film must have been a cakewalk for me,” shares Rubina, as she goes on to dispel many misconceptions with her brief remark, “It is wrong to presume that since it is a home production, things might have come to me easily. Neeru takes her work rather seriously. The character that I portray in the film is that of an innocent girl and Neeru was convinced that I will be able to pull it off. Had she not seen anything in common, I genuinely would not have got this role!” she signs off. 

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