Gulki Joshi on Embracing Strength in Typecasting Over Stereotypes
Gulki Joshi, known for her portrayal as the indomitable cop Haseena Malik, has returned to the small screen with Siddharth Kumar Tewary’s “Vanshaj,” reprising her iconic role. She welcomes the fact that her character has become synonymous with her and sees it as a positive reflection of the audience’s affection. Gulki talked about it in a recent interview and shared, “I look at it positively that people love the character so much that whether it is Maddam Sir or Vanshaj, they want me back as Haseena Malik. I’ve come to terms with the fact that people identify me more as Haseena Malik than Gulki Joshi. But that’s just a part of this profession. Right now, it’s Haseena, and in the future, it will be another character. I have ample time to take up different characters and challenge myself.”
Despite revisiting the same role, Gulki is content with being offered robust characters. She explains, “Being typecast in the strong role of a cop is better than being pigeonholed as a ‘dukhi bahu’ in a typical saas-bahu saga. The advantage is that roles now come filtered, aligning with what I have always been inclined towards. It may reduce the number of opportunities, but that’s the beauty of this profession. As a newcomer, I didn’t have much choice, but at this stage in my career, it’s about prioritizing quality over quantity.”
Switching to her personal life, she mentions, “I am single,” and elaborates, “I had a lot of options until the time I just wanted to date. I have come to realize that you can love anyone, but marriage involves two families. Today, I seek compatibility from my partner in every aspect. The challenge is that our society finds itself in a peculiar situation where we educate girls and empower them to be strong and independent, but many men are not quite ready for it. Some want women who will simply follow them, while others feel intimidated by strong, independent women. So, I am not actively searching for somebody, but I am open to the idea if the right person comes along.”
Is her on-screen tough cop persona intimidating in real life? She humorously responds, “It does. As it is, being strong and successful is intimidating, and on top of that, I wear a police uniform (laughs!). However, I am easy-going and approachable. I am an alpha woman looking for a bigger alpha.”
