From giving a glimpse of her Mumbai pad to recalling once doing music videos for Rs 7000; Shehnaaz Gill on her life, popularity through Bigg Boss and more

In a candid chat, actor-singer Shehnaaz Gill opened up about her journey, from her early career struggles to the fame she achieved after Bigg Boss 13. She shared with Mashable India, she shared insights about her Mumbai home, her love for books, and some major lessons she’s learned over the years, including signing contracts without reading them and finally meeting her idol, Shah Rukh Khan.

Shehnaaz shared an honest look into her Mumbai home, revealing the struggles behind building it. “I’ve incurred a huge loss. I had built the house with so much love. But I don’t know what happened. The workers weren’t so good. The balcony is ruined,” she confessed. Despite the setbacks, she added, “It’s been three to four years since I bought this house.” Her candid tone reflected both pride and disappointment over her dream home.

Recalling how she chose her first home, Shehnaaz laughed, “First of all, I didn’t know which house to buy. This was the first house and there was a pink sofa here. Pink is my favourite colour. As soon as I saw the pink sofa, I fell in love with it.” However, her practical side soon kicked in, as she added, “It wasn’t comfortable, so I changed it.” The story perfectly mirrored her spontaneous yet evolving personality.

Revealing a lesser-known side of herself, Shehnaaz spoke about her growing interest in reading. “I have a collection of good books. I also have Osho. I read a little. I understood a lot. It’s practical,” she shared. Her fondness for Osho’s teachings reflected her introspective journey and a desire to seek meaning and balance in life, far beyond the glitz of showbiz.

Reflecting on her early years, Shehnaaz admitted, “I was a different person then. I was very innocent. I was very reactive. I used to react without thinking. I wasn’t calculative at all.” She added, “Now I’ve learned all this. I was a chill type. I didn’t care about work. Now I am serious about life.” She even revealed how she once did projects for free, saying, “People used to request me to do it for free, so I used to do it. Not now.”

Shehnaaz reminisced about her early earnings, saying, “I used to go to work when I used to run out of money. I used to get Rs. 10,000 and felt I was the richest person in the world.” Talking about her gradual rise, she revealed, “I got Rs. 7,000, then Rs. 8,000, then Rs. 10,000, then Rs. 15,000, and then Rs. 40,000. After Bigg Boss, I started earning more.” Her humility shone through her recollection of those simpler days.

Shehnaaz shared an important life lesson, recalling, “Once I signed a contract by mistake. They told me it’s nothing, just a song contract. It was my song. So I signed it.” She later discovered it wasn’t as simple. “The contract ended after six months. I was so mad. I went on with my case for five years. But I won,” she revealed. The actress added, “Now, I sign contracts after a lot of thought.”

Shehnaaz also fondly recalled meeting superstar Shah Rukh Khan at the late Baba Siddiqui’s Iftar party. Her eyes lit up as she said, “I met Shah Rukh Khan. He hugged me. He is a superstar. He is a good actor.” The moment was clearly special to her, marking a full-circle moment for the girl who once dreamed big—and now stands proudly among the stars.