'There was no chemistry off screen': Shehnaaz Gill says she and co-star Jai Randhawa fought a lot on 'Ishqnama' sets
New Delhi, July 15
Shehnaaz Gill says constant fights with co-star Jai Randhawa turned into surprising on-screen chemistry in her upcoming film 'Ishqnama.'
The trailer of actor Shehnaaz Gill's upcoming film 'Ishqnama' was unveiled on Tuesday evening, giving fans a first look at the romantic drama set along the India-Pakistan border. Soon after the trailer was released, many viewers praised the chemistry between Shehnaaz and her co-star Jai Randhawa.
Interestingly, Shehnaaz revealed that things were very different behind the camera. Speaking to ANI, the actor said she and Jai would "fight a lot" on the sets and often argued over the smallest things.
"We both fought a lot. I mean, we used to tease each other on the set. On even small things, we fought so much. I mean, we used to tease each other so much on set. You have no idea. We'd argue over the smallest things. We fought so much, it wasn't like we were just joking around," she said.
Shehnaaz also shared that both of them were surprised after watching the film because their on-screen chemistry looked much better than what they had expected.
"But when we saw the chemistry on screen, it surprised us because there wasn't any chemistry between us on set. That's when our director said, "It's a good thing you fought," she added.
Ishqnama is inspired by the true story of Nimma and Naseema and is adapted from the book Hind Pak Bordernama. The film is set between 1981 and 1988 along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab.
The story follows Nimma, a young Sikh poet from Indian Punjab, and Naseema, a Muslim girl from Pakistani Punjab, whose love story unfolds against the backdrop of Partition's lasting impact.
Apart from Shehnaaz Gill and Jai Randhawa, the film also stars Saurabh Sachdeva in a key role. Ishqnama is scheduled to release in theatres on July 24, 2026.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Shehnaaz is such a star! ❤️ From *Bigg Boss* to *Punjab 1984* to a love story set on the border — she's really trying different things. The fact that she and Jai fought a lot but still looked good on screen just shows their professionalism. But honestly, I hope the film doesn't glorify cross-border love too much without addressing the ground realities. We all know how complex Punjab's history is. Let's see if they handle it sensitively.
The concept sounds interesting — a true story from the 80s set along the Punjab border. But Shehnaaz Gill in a period drama? I'm a bit sceptical. She has great screen presence, but her acting range is still being developed. Jai Randhawa will probably carry the serious scenes. And here's my respectful criticism: maybe instead of making this a typical 'boy meets girl across the border' romance, they could focus more on the human cost of Partition. But let's wait for the trailer to judge.
As someone who reads a lot about South Asian history, I'm really excited about *Ishqnama*. The book *Hind Pak Bordernama* is quite popular in Pakistan too. It's rare to see a love story from that era that's not just about the Hindu-Muslim divide but also about the shared culture of Punjab. The fact that Shehnaaz and Jai fought behind the scenes and still delivered makes me think they were very passionate. Hoping it doesn't get too melodramatic! 🤞
Shehnaaz Gill and Jai Randhawa fighting on set? That's not news — that's every Bollywood film set since the 90s! 😂 But jokes apart, I'm glad they are taking a real story from Punjab and not some fictional nonsense. The 1980s Punjab was a tough time with
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