Upasana Singh On Initial Doubts About Iconic 'Judaai' Dialogue 'Abba Dabba Jabba': 'I Was Not Convinced'

Upasana Singh, a renowned Indian actress with a career spanning almost four decades, has captivated audiences with her memorable performances. One of her standout roles, cherished by fans, was in the 1997 film ‘Judaai,’ alongside Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, and Urmila Matondkar. In this Raj Kanwar directorial, Upasana portrayed a dual role, playing both Paresh Rawal’s wife and his daughter who becomes romantically involved with Johnny Lever’s character. Her dialogue ‘Abba Dabba Jabba’ from the film became iconic.

During the discussion about her involvement in the film, Upasana confessed her admiration for Sridevi and inquired about the possibility of sharing the screen with the cinema icon, “Raj Kanwar agreed. That’s when I decided to go ahead,” Upasana Singh disclosed to the Times of India.

Despite initial reservations, particularly regarding the iconic ‘Abba Dabba Jabba’ dialogue, Upasana eventually embraced the role, emphasizing her commitment to infusing the character with a range of expressions and vocal nuances. She shared, “Then he told me about the Abba Dabba Jabba line. I was not at all convinced that a mute person could speak only these words. He told me to try it. I told myself to play the character with as many variations of expressions and voice. I have always been experimenting with roles.”

Singh also revealed that she initially found the plot of Judaai, where the wife sells her husband, to be peculiar. However, she chose not to address this concern at the time.

She recalled, “I was wondering how people would digest this. But Judaai became such a big hit that people started knowing me as ‘Abba Dabba Jabba’ rather than my real name. I did so many live shows where people demanded that I say that dialogue.”

Her portrayal of the character earned her widespread recognition, with audiences often associating her with the famous dialogue. Having ventured into Punjabi cinema with notable success, including directing a film, Upasana discussed her forthcoming projects, expressing her interest in production and the imminent release of several Punjabi films. Fans can look forward to seeing her in the upcoming movie ‘Carry On Jattiye,’ alongside Gippy Grewal.