Nimrat Kaur on being a martyr's daughter, Indo-Pak conflict: Terrorism has no place

India Today

10-05-2025

Not many know that actor Nimrat Kaur is a martyr's daughter, having lost her father to terrorists when she was only 11 years old. And while, by her own admission, the tragic incident changed her forever, it failed to alter her outlook towards the world, especially the aftermath of violence. In an exclusive conversation with India Today (taken before India and Pakistan announced ceasefire), the Kull actor opened up about the geopolitical situation between India and Pakistan. She also spoke about how the root cause of terrorism needs to be eradicated to bring peace to the world.advertisementWhen asked about the Indo-Pak conflict, Nimrat Kaur said, "Well, I won't comment on something that I don't know about. But I feel the word [war] has such serious consequences. I don't think a lot of us even quite recognise the gravity of assuming that there could be a war. It also spreads fear... It's a bit of scaremongering that reminds me of Covid times. The whole bunch [of assumptions] made everyone nervous and skittish. I think we shouldn't do it again as a country."She further discussed the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian armed forces. The actor said that one needs to recognise and understand that terrorism has no place in this world.
"Anyone, any country, land, or government that enables it, must be told [that terrorism has no place]. I firmly believe our government and armed forces are committed to that cause, and I am proud of them for having taken the stand and executed Operation Sindoor. It felt personal given my history as a martyr's daughter. All our support and prayers, courage, and strength to the armed forces. But let's limit it to that. As civilians, we are leading our lovely lives and doing things normally, but there are serious considerations. So, let's be cognisant of that, and handle it responsibly," she added.advertisementWhen asked if losing her father to a terrorists at such a young age changed her outlook towards violence, Nimrat said, "It does change you forever. But that's something you understand in hindsight. You neither have the intellect nor the intelligence as an 11-year-old to do that. All I knew was we went to Kashmir with our father, and left without him. Life as we knew it was over forever. But what it did teach me was that violence never solves anything; hatred never does that. Also, no one's born a terrorist, or with the intent of one day assassinating someone. Somewhere along the way, something fractures a human being or a schooling that went wrong. And that is my problem - how these enablers allow terrorism, and such heinous acts at their times."The 'Lunchbox' actor added that, however, that did not make her into an individual who hated any part of life, be it culture, religion or country. Stating that terrorists don't belong to anyone, Nimrat said that they are "demonic" in mind and "stuck somewhere between life and death". For her, the root cause needs to be uprooted from the ground below, a belief that she has grown up with as an army daughter and a citizen of India.On a final note, she sent out prayers and strength to the families who suffered the horrific attack in Pahalgam. Stating that it was personal, she said that she has a sense and can perceive what each individual must have gone through.Must Watch