Simrat Kaur Randhawa Playing Bharti Banerjee in The Bengal Files, My Biggest Career Challenge

Actress Simrat Kaur Randhawa stars as Bharti Banerjee in Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s The Bengal Files. She has also appeared in South Indian films and Bollywood hits like Gadar 2 and Vanvaas.

By Bollyy 18 Sep 2025 in Interview

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Simrat Kaur Randhawa Playing Bharti Banerjee in The Bengal Files

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BY SHANTISWAROOP TRIPATHI

Actress Simrat Kaur Randhawa is currently in the spotlight for portraying Bharti Banerjee in Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s film The Bengal Files. This, however, is not her first film. Earlier, Simrat appeared in South Indian films like Prematho Mee Karthik (2017), Parichayam (2017), and Soni (2018), apart from Bollywood projects like Anil Sharma’s Gadar 2 and Vanvaas.

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Here are excerpts from an exclusive conversation with Simrat Kaur Randhawa:

When did you decide to take up acting as a career?

I grew up in Mumbai. My father is now retired but he used to run a bookstore and supply books to military and central schools. My grandfather was in the Navy. I completed my B.Sc. with Computer Science and was actively involved in sports. Honestly, I had no interest in acting.
In 2017, I was offered a print advertisement for Cadbury. I agreed because it was good pocket money during my college days. Later, a casting director of Prematho Mee Karthik contacted me through Instagram. I clearly told him that I wasn’t interested in acting. But he spoke to my mother, Ranjit Kaur, and convinced her. On my mother’s insistence, I agreed to do the film. I was only 17 years old then. My mom took me to Hyderabad for the audition.

I had no idea I had any acting talent. When they told me I had to speak Telugu dialogues, I said it wasn’t possible for me—I am a North Indian girl, raised in Mumbai, so I could only speak Hindi, Punjabi, and Marathi. But they promised to teach me. Speaking Telugu was very tough for me. I cried for an entire month during the shoot, begging to return home to Mumbai. But during that month, I started enjoying being in front of the camera. Initially, I was terrified of the camera, but gradually I became comfortable. Though memorizing Telugu dialogues was a huge struggle, I completed the film after a year. That’s when I realized that I did have acting skills. Luckily, I always had the support of my parents.

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You said you were into sports. Which games were you associated with?

I am a black-belt in Karate. I participated in World Karate Championships, won some competitions, and even became a gold medalist. I also taught Karate for two years. Apart from that, I ran the 100m and 200m sprints. I was deeply into sports, and suddenly, I found myself in the glamorous world of acting.

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Your first Bollywood film, ‘Gadar 2’, earned over ₹700 crores. What kind of reactions did you receive after the release?

When Gadar 2 was released, I was a complete newcomer in Bollywood. On August 11, 2023, people noticed for the first time that there was a new girl in films. Before that, no one knew me. After its release, the film created a storm at the box office. People told me that after a long time, Bollywood had found a promising actress. They praised my on-screen presence and performance immensely. My audience, friends, and well-wishers showered me with love, and it’s because of that love that I’ve been getting continuous film offers.

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When you got the offer for ‘The Bengal Files,’ what convinced you to take up the film?

Actually, the offer didn’t come directly from Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri sir. I went on my own for the auditions when I heard he was casting. After giving the audition, I waited for a month but didn’t hear back. Finally, I asked him directly, and he said:
“Simrat, you’re a good actress, but I need someone who is Bengali, who can speak the language fluently, because this is a period film set between 1943–1946.”
Being Punjabi, my features are more North Indian, so he felt I didn’t suit the part of Bharti Banerjee. But I assured him that I would work hard, learn Bengali, and prepare myself thoroughly for the role. He saw the passion and fire in me, and eventually decided to cast me. He clearly told me that this character is the “hero of the film.”
I wanted to work with him because his films are performance-oriented. They don’t rely on songs or Bollywood-style masala. My earlier films were more commercial—Gadar 2 was set in 1971, and Vanvaas was a contemporary story. But The Bengal Files gave me the chance to play a performance-driven role from 1943. I felt fortunate that in just my third film, I was entrusted with such an important and challenging character—something every actor dreams of.

Gadar 2: Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel fans upset with casting of Simratt Kaur Randhawa; share steamy clips from her past project SIMRAT KAUR-IN FILM- GADAR-2-_32A5591-00 (1)

How did you prepare yourself to portray Bharti Banerjee from 1943–1946?

Just like I watched 1950s and 1960s films for Gadar 2, this time I studied 1920s and 1930s cinema, as well as films by Satyajit Ray. I also watched Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s Chokher Bali and many Bengali films to observe their clothing, mannerisms, and speech.
I researched Direct Action Day (August 16, 1946) on Google, because I had never read about it in school. I was shocked by what I learned. That historical context, combined with the script, helped me build my role.

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Is Bharti Banerjee’s character inspired by a real figure from Bengal who shot a governor in 1936?

Yes, it’s slightly inspired but not a biopic. Vivek sir told me that Bharti represents revolution—she follows Bhagat Singh’s ideology. We all know about Bhagat Singh. The director explained that Bharti would act without hesitation, even shoot the governor, because she believed in fighting tyranny—even if it meant facing the gallows. Later, her journey transitions towards Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence. That contrast was very important for the role.

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Did this depiction of Gandhi’s philosophy, which may differ from what you studied as a child, create any conflict in your mind?

History is complicated—what we read is influenced by many versions. Facts are interpreted differently over time. A hundred years later, people may believe something we post on Instagram today as absolute truth. As an actor, my job is to perform according to the script, not to decide what’s historically accurate.

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Which scenes were the most challenging for you?

Honestly, none of the scenes were easy. The character itself was the biggest challenge of my career. My very first scene was shooting the governor with a real revolver loaded with blank bullets. It was heavy—around 6–7 kg—and required real effort to fire. I had to practice a lot.
All the Direct Action Day scenes were tough—running, falling in mud, losing parents, witnessing blood and massacres. Every day was emotionally draining. Nothing was easy.

How did you mentally move on from such heavy and traumatic scenes?

By God’s grace, I was able to let go within a week.

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How happy are you with the response to ‘The Bengal Files’?

I feel the film deserved more awareness. Everyone who watched it praised it, but unfortunately, the box office numbers weren’t great. On a personal level, I am grateful that people appreciated my performance.

OTT has become a big platform for actors. Would you like to explore it too?

Of course. I’m open to any medium as long as the script and role are strong. I’m looking for powerful, content-driven stories. Cinema is evolving now, and I want to be a part of it.