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In its final season, Homeland is bringing Carrie Matheson (Claire Danes) and her mentor Saul Berenson (Mandy Patinkin) back to Kabul, along with the shady Pakistani ISI Agent that burned them in season 4. Some viewers may not be familiar with Nimrat Kaur, the actress who plays Tasneem Qureshi, but she’s been a big Bollywood star for years. 

Nimrat Kaur in Homeland
Nimrat Kaur as Tasneem in ‘Homeland’ | Sifeddine Elamine/SHOWTIME

Who is ‘Homeland’ star Nimrat Kaur and what else has she been in?

 Kaur is an Indian actress who started her career as a print model in Mumbai. She went on to act in TV commercials and various Indian theater productions, including Baghdad Wedding, All About Women, and Red Sparrow. 

In 2006, Kaur landed a small role in the historical film One Night with the King, starring Tiffany Dupont and Luke Goss. But her breakout role came in the 2013 romantic comedy, The Lunchbox, opposite Irrfan Khan. 

In the film, Kaur plays Ila, a young housewife who sends letters to her new friend through a lunchbox and finds solace and comfort in the letters he sends back. For her role, Kaur earned major critical acclaim along with multiple award nominations. 

In 2016, Kaur joined the cast of the Showtime sci-fi series, Wayward Pines, in the recurring role of Rebecca Yedlin. 

Kaur’s character was introduced in season 4 of ‘Homeland’

In season 4, when Carrie is the CIA station chief in Kabul, she plans to find and kill Taliban leader Haissam Haqqani (Numan Acar). But ISI Agent, Tasneem Qureshi (Nimrat Kaur) is working with the Taliban, and she does her best to hinder Carrie’s efforts. 

Now, in season 8, Tasneem is back working with Haqqani’s son, Jalal (Elham Ehsas). She doesn’t want peace between the Taliban and the U.S., so she continuously throws wrenches into Saul’s negotiations. 

The actress is excited to be a part of the final season

In an interview with Indulge Express, Kaur talked about how she was first approached for her Homeland role. “When I first met the makers in Los Angeles, they were just writing Tasneem Qureshi’s character and they had asked me if I was free to do a role,” she said.  “I was more than happy to take it up. I’ve watched the series from the start and I’ve loved it. After joining the team, it’s been a process of learning and note-taking. I had to give up a few big films here because of the long schedule, but everything happens for a reason.”

The actress also revealed what it took for her to return to the mindset of the ISI agent for season 8. “Returning to the set after three seasons, I had to go back to the mindset of my character, who has now developed to become a senior officer,” Kaur told the outlet. “Although it is considered a negative role, I saw the potential that this part had. Tasneem is an empowered woman, who has her own reasons and justifications for every move she makes. These days, I love being told how evil I am in the role.”

With the show in its final season, Kaur said it feels “amazing” to be back. “Now, I’m a part of the huge finale, which is great, considering it’s a farewell to all the fans.”

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