Nikita Dutta recalls relatives calling her “Farzi Punjabi”; explains how she prepared for The Waking of a Nation role

March 6, 2025 - 4:45 PM IST

After gaining recognition for her versatile performances across various genres, Nikita Dutta is set to enthrall audiences in a never-before-seen role. She stars alongside Taaruk Raina, Sahil Mehta, and Bhawsheel Singh Sahni in the highly anticipated historical thriller, The Waking of a Nation. Directed by the visionary Ram Madhvani and co-produced by RMF, Ram Madhvani, and Amita Madhvani, the series will premiere on Sony LIV on March 7th!

Nikita Dutta recalls relatives calling her “Farzi Punjabi”; explains how she prepared for The Waking of a Nation role

The Waking of a Nation explores the conspiracy behind the historic Jallianwala Bagh massacre, offering a fresh perspective on a pivotal moment in India's history during British colonial rule. The series offers a captivating and thought-provoking examination of whether the massacre was part of a larger conspiracy.

As seen in the trailer, Nikita Dutta plays Poonam, her portrayal is a testament to her ability to dive deep into her roles and bring authenticity to complex characters. Reflecting on her role and the connection she felt with the character of Poonam, Nikita shared, “I think it’s great. You know, I am actually Punjabi, and the funny thing is I’m not very fluent when it comes to speaking in Punjabi. My relatives and my extended family they call me a ‘Farzi Pujabi’ because I have not really spent too much time living over there. So, for me to play this Punjabi kudi was like going back to my roots; in my head I used to always think about how my relatives would talk or how people in my village behaved. I feel like that was a reference I constantly had in my head, more than anything.”

Speaking further about her experience on the show, Nikita revealed how portraying Poonam allowed her to reconnect with her roots and rediscover a part of her heritage. “It is one of those things that you always long to because you have seen people around you dress up this way and talk this way I feel like through the show I have gotten to do that, and of course they had to work a lot in my Punjabi dialect. A lot of times their used to be an English touch that would come, but ya, I have really enjoyed it." She noted that despite her relatives teasing her about being a "farzi Punjabi" in the role, it helped her reconnect with the cultural aspects she had not fully embraced before.

Further sharing about her preparations for the role she shares “For Punjabi accent, we had a dialect coach he used to make me sing songs in Punjabi. He used to make me scream and yell out numbers. There’s something known as ‘Punjabi Tappe’, which is like folk songs, so we used to basically jam on that to get some clarity.”

History, mystery, and thrill—witness it all in The Waking of a Nation from March 7th, only on Sony LIV!

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