Can you talk about the Khoobsurat experience, the first Disney brand film?
Yes, Khoobsurat was the first film with the Disney brand, so being part of a first was amazing, especially as the company stands for great values. Besides, this was my sister's film as a producer and she worked so hard on it. Shashanka Ghosh is a director whom I have come to love. So for me, the film was very special and I marketed it aggressively to make sure that it was out there.
Besides Khoobsurat, you were the protagonist in Aisha and Raanjhanaa and in the yet to release Dolly Ki Doli. Does the responsibility of shouldering a heroine oriented film make you anxious?
I don't like the term heroine oriented film. I think a film is a film, is a film. It just depends on who is doing the lead and if the film is good it will do well. Unless of course it's a Shah Rukh or a Salman or an Aamir Khan film where just the name draws the audience to the theatre. I don't think anybody in the industry has reached that status yet, except for Amitabh Bachchan, where you go and watch a film because of the actor. I think if it's not a good product people understand that and if it's a good film it doesn't matter who the lead is. Anyway since a film is a work of collaboration, I cannot take credit for its success or be blamed for its failure. The only pressure I have is that the film should do well because everyone works so hard on it.
Having said that, I think the onus is always on all the actors of the film, because Friday decides on what kind of work you are going to get. Fortunately or unfortunately for us there's a lot of money involved in film-making and if people have to invest in you, then you need to show that you are successful, or that you are going to get returns. Basicaly the pressure is that if a film doesn't work than maybe I won't get the kind of work that I want to do.
After having worked with Shashanka who is known to be a very fun-loving person, you are now working with Sooraj Barjatya a more staid personality. How different is the working atmosphere on the set of these film-makers?
Honestly, there's not much difference. The professionalism and the general attitude of both Shashanka and Soorajji is the same. They are pleasant people and give their actors a lot of love. There is no shouting or chilumchili on the sets. They are passionate about making their film and always inspiring their actors to give their best.
In fact, in the past one year, I have had the opportunity to work with wonderful people like Shashanka, Aanand Rai, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, and now Sooraj Barjatya. They are all such amazingly pleasant, nice people and talented directors. You realise that if you are talented it does not mean you can be temperamental and have mood swings. They do their work with such passion and love, so it's great being on a set like that. I choose to work with them because of that. You don't want to wake up in the morning and go to an unpleasant set. You want to go to a place where you are respected, given love and work with people who really want your talent to flourish. I think when there are positive vibes while shooting, the film works.
So it's the director who attracts you to a film?
Sometimes I am instinctive and at other times, I ponder over a project before taking it up. For me, it's the script, the director and the people I am going to work with because it's going to be one year of my life! I will spend 12 to 15 hours every day with them, so I cannot grate on their nerves and vice-versa. We need to like and respect each other and I must say that Arbaaz Khan (producer of Dolly Ki Doli) is one of the best persons I have met in the industry. He is like a saint, so nice and kind. I keep telling everybody around me that he's one of the nicest persons I have met and it was such a pleasure working with him. I think it's important to work with people like that because it gets the best out of you.
Aren't you a lot like the Milli of Khoobsurat - vivacious, independent and most important just being yourself?
Not only me, I think a lot of young girls are like that these days. Modern young women are very unapologetic about who they are, what they do, what they wear, what they say and how they lead their lives. And Milli represents a modern day girl. So, yes, in that way Milli was similar to me.
Fawad Khan has impressed everyone with his acting skills. How is he as a person?
Fawad is reserved if he does not know you, but once he does, he talks nineteen-to- the-dozen and you cannot put one word in! He's an amazing person and a fantastic actor. Our chemistry has been appreciated on screen and we will be working together more often in the future. After spending so much time shooting together, he was returning to Pakistan and I had to move on to my next assignment. I told him, "Oh God, I am not going to see you for a while". When you are together for so long you form relationships and want to be with them longer. In fact, I keep messaging Shashanka that I miss him and he sends me smiley emoticons.
What about Dolly Ki Doli. Have you wrapped up the film?
We have 15 days of work still left. It's a very interesting film in which I play a con-woman. I get married to three guys and I have a "doli", which is my fake family. It's a fun ride and Abhishek (debutant director Abhishek Dogra) is this young enthusiastic boy who has made a funny and very commercial film.
What about your next home production Battle For Bittora?
We should start Battle for Bittora, next year as this year we don't have the time. Everything is finalised and we will soon announce the cast and the director... .
...End of Part 1.
(I broke the IV in 2, because it is a rather long one. This is one of her best ever, a very interesting read.)
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