Posted:
"The size of your role doesn't matter as long as you create an impact..."
Priyanka Chopra.
A: It's an amazing feeling. The two were very different films, Don 2 and Agneepath, but they released just about a month apart. And they did so well. So I'm doubly happy with the double dose of success.
Q. Tell us a little bit about your role in Barfee...
A: Barfee is a fun film. I play an autistic girl and Ranbir plays a deaf-mute, but it's not a sad film. That's not to say it's a caricature. It's just about the way they see the world. It's different but not tragic. It's one of the toughest roles I've done in my career. It took me a lot of preparation. I went to schools for autistic children, spent a lot of time with them to understand how they see the world.
Q. Anurag Kashyap, the director of the film, resorted to guerilla shooting for this film. How was the experience?
A: I have done guerilla shooting before for Saat Khoon Maaf. I think it's very interesting. The environment is so real it sets the mood of the scene that is to be shot. And the reactions of the people afterwards are even more interesting. Like this one scene that Ranbir and I shot at 6 am at Howrah Bridge sabzi mandi, we were all decked up as our characters and we rode through the mandi on a cycle. By the time the people realized our shot was complete and their reactions were priceless.
Q. Do you think your role in Agneepath could have been bigger?
A: No. If you've seen the original you'll realize that I do have a bigger role in this one. The film is not about me, it's about Vijay's revenge. And I'm just glad I could be part of such a great film. Besides, the size of your role never matters. It's the impact you manage to create. Even in Kaminey I had only 8 scenes, but even actors like Amitabh Bachchan appreciated me. It's about the quality of your work, never about the quantity.
Q. Bollywood is now seeing women differently. The kind of roles and films that we're seeing is a marked change from what women were viewed as a few years ago. What are your views?
A: I think Fashion sort of paved the way for this trend. That film had an all female caste. People told me I was taking a big risk, but it ended up doing so well. I really believe that this is the best time for female leads to be in Bollywood. It's not just the audience, but also the filmmakers who are recognizing the need for strong female characters.
21