Parul Gulati needs no introduction. Be it acting, being a social media influencer, or now being a businesswoman, she’s making the world even more stylish with her brand Nish Hair, a hair extension company she founded in 2017. After making a mark on small screens with her performances in several famous daily soaps and web series, she has recently made her big-screen debut with Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, starring Kapil Sharma.
Speaking of her project, the actress shared how, after reading the script of the film, knew she wanted to be part of the out-and-out comedy. Not limiting herself just to acting, she also made everyone realize that anything is possible as she made her way into a completely new world of business when she built her brand, Nish Hair. From learning the intricacies of business to presenting it with full confidence on Shark Tank, Gulati has marked her spot everywhere.
In an exclusive conversation with WION, she opens up about working with Kapil Sharma, managing time between acting and business, and more.
WION: What was your first reaction after reading the script of Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2?
Parul Gulati: It was a lot of laughter. My first reaction was definitely, Wow, an Abbas-Mustan film, Kis Kisko Pyaar Karoon 2, and it’s an out-and-out comedy. I instantly imagined myself on a poster, and I was like, let’s do this.
WION: Can you tell me something about your character?
Parul Gulati: I’m playing a Christian wife. As the film has already released, everyone knows Kapil sir’s character is named Mohan, and he gets married in different religions, as Mehmood, as Michael, and in the end, he also falls in love with a Punjabi girl. I am the Christian wife. He actually loves one woman, but accidentally ends up marrying all three of us. It’s basically just comedy, so you don’t really use your brains for it. I’m a doctor in the film, but it’s a Kapil Sharma film, and we are the wives.
WION: How was your experience working with Kapil Sharma? Is he as funny on set as he is on his show?
Parul Gulati: It was a lot of fun. He is very childlike; that part is similar to what you see on screen. At the same time, he stays a bit reserved and doesn’t talk too much. He likes to be with people he already knows. I didn’t know him, so I was always wondering how much I could talk and how much I should not.
He is a big personality; everyone knows Kapil Sharma. When he is in the shot, he is always figuring out how to do a scene. “We can do it like this. Then I’ll say this line like that.” It’s a very good energy to work with.
WION: What was the inspiration behind your brand, Nish Hair?
Parul Gulati: The idea was to create products that are easily accessible. I wanted to buy hair extensions because I had chopped off my own hair quite short, and as a heroine, you should always have long hair, at least nine years ago, from today. At that time, I needed extensions for myself, and I just couldn’t find them online. I thought, how is it possible that in such a big country we don’t have an online hair extensions brand? I decided, “I will create one.”
While working on it, I realised that hair loss is a huge issue and no one talks about it. Women are very shy about it, and everybody thinks hair extensions or toppers are only wigs. That taboo made it very enjoyable for me to educate people about what hair extensions really are. I got carried away with the whole thing and kept making products based on what people wanted.
WION: Since you are a businesswoman and also an actress, what challenges do you face in managing both?
Parul Gulati: You learn to balance it. I don’t really see it as a challenge. Sometimes I just feel there is less time in the day; I wish there was a little more time or that I hadn’t spent an extra hour doing something useless. I am also just a girl; I get distracted and start doing something very mindless. That is the only thing I feel is a challenge. Other than that, when you truly want to do something, it is possible. I do it; it’s just that sometimes I take time because I digress.
WION: What is the biggest lesson you have learned after entering business?
Parul Gulati: I have learned that there are various kinds of people in the world, and I learned a lot about human behaviour while doing business. This has opened up my mind to many different things which I would not have experienced just as an actor, from selling a product to creating it and making it reach the world.
The biggest lesson is that nothing matters if your product is not good. If what you are providing is not good, then nothing else matters as a businesswoman. It has also made me very sharp about numbers, trade, and investments. I feel like a very cool person now.
