Donning the character of Chaaru in Vishal Bhardwaj's new Hindi spy thriller, Khufiya, the Indian actress has once stepped into the shoes of a protagonist caught in the midst of conflicted action. Her latest role has only reminded us of the long list of Wamiqa Gabbi movies and shows we must binge-watch ASAP!
In an ensemble of characters, Wamiqa Gabbi in Jubilee shone bright as Niloufer "Nilo" Qureshi. She truly broke the mould in Vikramaditya Motwane's Prime Video Original series by exhibiting a range of emotions, sometimes rising as a playfully charming character who could equally sink into her vulnerability on other occasions.
Sparking the 2021 Punjabi film with a lively charge, Wamiqa Gabbi's Anant starts inquiring about her old teacher, Rabiya, upon returning to her hometown. Seeing everyone's shifty reactions on hearing the woman's name, she realises that something bigger is at play. Eventually, Gabbi's character takes the lead in fighting for her previously fun-loving teacher, who'd now become a victim of the male-dominated society's ugliness.
There are a lot of Wamiqa's movies to pick from. Still, I went ahead with this one because in the long catalogue of her having played heavy roles, her character Natasha in the 2019 Punjabi film brings a breezy, welcoming change. As the sweet protagonist of the film, Wamiqa settles into this charming romantic film powered by a range of emotions. Sometimes, such light romance stories are all we need to take our minds off all the unresting commotion in our lives.
Starring as the younger Manjeet Kaur Chhabra, aka Manu, Gabbi steps into one of her most memorable leading roles in this Hindi crime drama. Her tender chemistry with Anshumaan Pushkar as Rishi Ranjan balances the show with a humanist core that empowers the story with heartfelt emotions.
Bursting with effervescent Punjabi slang, Wamiqa Gabbi broke the fourth wall in Vishal Bhardwaj's 2023 mystery thriller series based on Agatha Christie's novel The Sittaford Mystery. Channelling her inner Indian Fleabag essence, Gabbi's Charlie has the other characters on the show fooled by her grand pretence of being a helpless naivete. Still, as viewers, we knew better and awaited her to break the bubble with her ever-bursting instincts as a beginner sleuth.
In the Hindi romantic comedy anthology, Gabbi stars in the third episode, "Mumbai Dragon" of Modern Love Mumbai, again collaborating with director Vishal Bhardwaj. As Megha, she's paired up with Meiyang Chang's Ming in this standout story of the series. Gabbi is called out as the "vegetarian witch" by the latter's mother in fear of him having fallen for a garlic-hating vegetarian. Wamiqa's Megha adds a light comedy touch to the story, and we can't help but side with her as she faces her lover's over-protective mother.
Following the Mumbai chapter, Gabbi was again cast in the 2023 Mumbai Love Chennai season's Episode 6 titled "Ninaivo Oru Paravai" ('Memory is a Bird'). She played Sam, opposite PB's character K, as the two form a progressive couple, which later breaks up. However, when misfortune strikes, K loses his memory, and Sam helps him recall their journey, and the narration shapes up quite like memory itself - fragmented but also fluid.
Although she may be embarrassed about seeing her teen self in Jab We Met, we can only think of how far she's come in her journey to stardom. Even language isn’t a barrier for her, as she’s starred in countless Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and even Malyalam films. This trajectory is a firm testament to her unstoppable prowess as an actress we love to see in action.