RAANJHANNA A SUCCESS!11.40 cr in 2 days Pg13 - Page 6

My character from Raanjhanaa, Zoya has changed me: Sonam Kapoor

Sonam Kapoor began her career on the same day as Deepika Padukone. But somewhere along the way, her rival zoomed ahead in terms of films, performances and hits. Sonam, meanwhile, was preparing to strike. She was waiting for a role which would allow her to make everyone sit up and take notice.Raanjhanaa, which releases next week, may just be that film. The actress did the film when it was an emotionally trying time for her. She had split with her long-time boyfriend Punit Malhotra while shoting for the film. With her broken heart she shot for the most romantic film of her career. Read on with a tete-a-tete with the Kapoor girl...

What made you sign Raanjhanaa?
What I liked about the girl was her growth in the film — it's like a graph. Zoya Haidar is not just a pretty girl and a typical simpering, goody-goody heroine. She has something more to her. Zoya is a normal girl with grey shades to her. Every film that I do is challenging in its own way but yes, Raanjhanaa has been my most challenging role till now. Getting into Zoya's character, which has got so many layers, was tough. She is so complicated yet real.

I have always tried to do different films and gone without make-up or styling even in Delhi 6 and Mausam as I try to be different for every character. I like doing different things to challenge myself in every way and don't like to repeat myself. But I can honestly says that Raanjhanaa has been the most creatively satisfying experience I have ever had in my life. I am playing a character that grows up in this film and with this film I have also grown up in the process. There is a little sadness in Zoya's character and somewhere I have identified with that. Though Sonam Kapoor and Zoya Haidar are both different.

How much do you identify yourself with Zoya's character?
Zoya has a lot of chracteristics which many girls will identity with. She is a middle class girl in her values, is very headstrong and emotional. On that level, I do connect with her. I may not be perfect and have many layers to my personality. When Zoya falls in love she believes in it and feels strongly about it. Love is complicated as I believe in it too, like her, but very few people like her have the courage to take a stand.

Did you connect on an emotional level with her?
Yes I did. Acting in Raanjhaana has changed me in a fundamental way. Playing Zoya has made me more settled and calmer. She has a heaviness in her heart and I identified with that. It's a complex character — Zoya is sad and that's in me. I love looking at something with a tinge of sadness. I have lived Zoya's life — cried, laughed and fallen in love with her.

What was the toughest scene in the film?
I can't reveal exactly which scene but what I can tell you is that towards the end emotionally I had become Zoya and she had become me... I couldn't differentiate between us... So it was difficult and uncomfortable enacting certain emotions as I felt I was playing out my story. I was going through the process with Zoya and it was cathartic but bery uncomfortable and painful for me.

Did you identify Zoya when it comes to the matters of the heart?
Every individual goes through different experiences. Love is complex and sometimes what we do is inexplicable. When I fell in love along with Zoya I felt a new emotion. I discovered that falling in love can be a beautiful experience...

Was it emotionally taxing?
Raanjhanaa is a boiling cauldron of intense emotions of love, hate, penance, jealousy, revenge, joy, mischief and much more... When I read it and started playing the role I felt I had opened my heart out and put myself there for everyone to see all the emotions boiling inside me...

How was working with Dhanush?
It was incredible! Dhanush is so talented and humble. He appears so unassuming but working with him has been a great learning experience. He is so dedicated and commited.

I loved working with Anand (director) too. He treated me with so much love and affection. I would love to work with him in every film of his. I love him. He is the best! I find such people rare in life - people who are so pure and unjaded.

How has your parents and sister Rhea reacted to the trailers/promos?
They have loved it the trailers and are excited. My family always wants to see me doing different and exciting stuff. The media reactions have been incredible too. Rhea loves Raanjhanaa as she thinks its very real, Indian and very funny. She loves complete package of romancem, drama. Raanjhanaa is not a simple love story. It's a very real and love in real life is very complicated.

Does Raanjhaana feel like a blockbuster?
I don't know. I don't think of my work like that. I hope every film is a milestone in my life. I don't look at any films of mine differently. All my films have made me grow and change as a person. I hope it will be a hit but I can't comment whether it will be. All I know is that I have already achieved what I wanted to. Everything else is in God's hands now.

Rahman infuses spirituality in 'Raanjhanaa' music: Sonam Kapoor

Mumbai, June 14 (IANS) Composer A.R. Rahman has cast a magic spell yet again with "Raanjhanaa" songs and the film's lead actress Sonam Kapoor says the music maestro has infused spirituality into the film's music with the track "Tum tak".

"'Tum tak' is like a spiritual bhajan. The spirituality that comes through is something that only Rahman sir is capable of doing in this day and age," the 28-year-old said here during the making of the song.

It seems "Raanjhanaa" team can't stop raving about the composer's work in the movie.

Southern star Dhanush, who plays the male lead, too praised the composition of the Oscar-winning music director saying: "It is rooted, you can sense and feel the culture in the song."

A romantic tale, "Raanjhanaa" has been directed by Anand L. Rai who said: "Actually, Rahman sir has put 'the raanjhanaa' factor completely in 'Tum tak'." (Rahman sir ne pure ka pura raanjhanaa utha kar 'Tum Tak' mein daal diya hai).

Coming out June 21, "Raanjhanaa" also stars Abhay Deol and Swara Bhaskar.

in Ahmedabad

She is young, vivacious and has played the love struck romantic in reel life, but Sonam Kapoor confesses that she has not been lucky when it came to love in real life.

Born with a silver spoon, the daughter of actor Anil Kapoor and former model Sunita was said to be dating "I Hate Luv Storys" director Punit Malhotra and was also romantically linked to her "Mausam" co-star Shahid Kapoor.

But in a candid confession, she said: "My love life has been quite unsuccessful. I am single, but I think human beings have the capacity to love."

The 27-year-old feels love is not a restricted feeling.

"I don't think you can fall in love only once. You can fall in love over and over again. We have the capacity and we have the heart to do that," Sonam told IANS.

Her real life romance has not been inspiring, but on the screen she has been part of several love stories, including her debut film "Saawariya" as well as mushy dramas like "I Hate Luv Storys" and "Aisha".

Her forthcoming film "Raanjhanaa" also belongs to the same genre. In the film, she will be seen romancing southern star Dhanush, who is debuting in Bollywood with the Anand L. Rai-directed movie coming out Friday.

When asked about her chemistry with Dhanush in "Raanjhanaa", Sonam said: "Chemistry is not between two people, it's between two characters. Chemistry gets created by moments. For example, Shahid and Kareena had done many films together, but people never spoke about their chemistry. But when they did 'Jab We Met' because of the scenes and their roles, people liked it."

She insists that chemistry can be created through "acting, scenes and the way the director projects it. Chemistry is a very overdone, overspoken thing".

"Raanjhanaa" was shot in Varanasi and the actress admits being nervous while giving her first shot in the holy city.

"It wasn't difficult, I was nervous doing it. When I was in Varanasi, about 200 people were there when I gave my first shot," she said.

She was in a "school uniform" for the shot and was surrounded by men. They accepted us very well, but I was nervous while shooting".

Dhanush is not familiar with Hindi and he struggled with the dialogues, but Sonam feels that when it comes to emotions, language has never been a barrier.

"He is very quiet and modest... he worked hard on the language. When it comes to emotions, you don't need a language to express it. He expressed himself beautifully. He is such a creative person," she said.

Although most of her films bombed at the box office, the actress doesn't regret anything.

"I don't regret anything because when I was doing films like 'Thank You' and 'Mausam', I decided to do the films that satisfied me. I don't look at films with their box-office success. I want that 20 years down the line, people should remember my films," she explained.

😃 in Delhi