Nagma's debut film
Baghi: A Rebel for Love, opposite
Salman Khan was Hindi cinema's seventh highest-grossing film in 1990. After moving back to Mumbai, she focused on supporting roles in Hindi films like the 2000s
Chal Mere Bhai, which reunited her with former co-stars
Karisma Kapoor,
Salman Khan and
Sanjay Dutt. While based in Mumbai, she continued to work in some Telugu and Tamil films, such as
Allari Ramudu and
Citizen, as well as taking leading roles in some Malayalam films including
Chathurangam. Nagma has acted in Bhojpuri films, including films with the
Big Boss participant
Ravi Kishan. She won a Best Actress award at the 2005 Bhojpuri Film Awards for her performance in
Dulha Milal Dildar. In 2006's
Ganga, she starred in the title role opposite
Amitabh Bachchan and
Hema Malini. When asked why she shifted to Bhojpuri films, she said "I wanted to do films in different languages. I have already done films in 10 languages. My first Bhojpuri film
Panditji Bataayina Biyaah Kab Hoii was a huge hit. After that, the offers poured in and they were too good to be ignored." When interviewed by
The Hindu in Delhi in April 2007, she indicated that another important reason for her decision to focus on Bhojpuri films was to help with her political campaigning. In 2006, she made her Punjabi film debut, starring alongside
Raj Babbar in
Ek Jind Ek Jaan. Discussing her career in a
Mid-Day interview in September 2006, Nagma said "I have learned nine languages, so I want to do films in all languages. On the Hindi film front, I am in the process of signing a very big period thriller. I am getting to do a variety of roles with content, so I am satisfied." While noting her commitment to complete several Bhojpuri films she was involved with, in March 2007, she expressed her intention to next focus on returning to Hindi films after wrapping up her projects. In her 2007
Hindustan Times interview, in which she discusses her future plans for cinema and politics, Nagma responded to a question about her reputation for controversy by saying "You need guts to deal with controversies. Of course, whether it's for negative or positive reasons, I’ve always been in the news." == Politics ==