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Harsh says Sonam and I are similar: Saiyami Kher

Saiyami Kher talks about making her Bollywood debut opposite Anil Kapoor's son in Mirzya

She hails from a strong film lineage " she is the granddaughter of famous Marathi actress Usha Kiran and niece of Tanvi Azmi. If that's not enough, Shabana Azmi is her aunt. No wonder, Saiyami Kher, who forays into Bollywood with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Mirzya, feels blessed. Having started out as a model, she dabbled in theatre in her college days. That's when she realised she enjoyed acting. When she got an offer for a Telugu film Rey, she immediately consulted Shabana maasi' and as soon as she gave the go-ahead, did the film. Even now, before taking up Mirzya, she sought guidance from her aunts who told her she was in good hands and that she should completely trust the director. And no, she doesn't feel the pressure of her lineage, but does hope that she has inherited some of her aunts' genes...

What kind of reaction have you got for the trailer of Mirzya?

It's been overwhelming. The entire industry has reacted positively, it has become too much to handle. I never expected this kind of a response. Shekhar Kapur, Aamir Khan and Karan Johar have said good things about the trailer. We finished shooting for the film eight months ago and the trailer came after a long time. I hadn't given it much thought.

What's the best compliment you've received?

Shabana maasi has said I look fresh as a dewdrop and that though I am a newcomer, I don't look like one, as I seem confident. I consider her praise high up there. She's somebody who I always ask where I need to improve.

Did your aunts help you in bagging the film?

Nobody knew that I was auditioning for the film " I did 10 screen tests and auditioned for six months. It was my own journey, but I did seek guidance from Tanvi bua and Shabana maasi. They messaged me saying I should completely trust my director as I am in good hands. However, besides me another girl was in contention. Both of us were sent to Delhi to train. I had to learn horse-riding and I was also doing theatre workshops. Adil Hussain and Dilip Shankar trained me. And that completely changed my life. I thought to myself, I have given six months of my life to this, I will be happy if I am selected and if not, I would have learned something'. However, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra told me that there were quite a few similarities between me and the character of Sahiban. Also, that I had a certain look which he wanted.

Besides horse-riding, did you learn any other skills for the film?

I learnt how to ride a bike. Since I was a kid, I wanted to learn how to, but my father was scared to let me do it. So, I was more than happy to learn it for the film. Now, I borrow a friend's Bullet and ride all around Bandra. It does raise eyebrows, but people give way when they see a girl riding a Bullet (laughs). I have completely fallen in love with the machine and soon, I plan to buy one.

Was Rakeysh a tough task master?

On the contrary, he was so relaxed that both Harsh and I used to get nervous about that! We had prepped and rehearsed a lot before the shoot had begun so when we started shooting, he told us Yeh aapki film hai you have to play it the way you want.' He gave us so much liberty and freedom. It's scary how much he pampered us.

Since the spotlight is on Harshvardhan as he is Anil Kapoor's son, do you feel the attention is being taken away from you?

Not at all. It's a love story, and both the girl and boy are equally important. As for Harshvardan, as an audience even I would be excited about Anil sir's son coming into the industry. I feel blessed to be launched with him. There is no insecurity there.

You play a girl from two different time periods...

Yes, and it was great fun for me to debut with two different roles in one film! It's challenging and exciting at the same. Usually, guys undergo physical transformation, but here even I had to bulk for one role and lose weight for the other. We shot the contemporary era first and then the folk period. There was a two-and-a-half month break during which I was asked to put on weight as I had to look bigger on screen. I did a different kind of workout, weight and crossfit for that. I also changed my diet for a short time. He wanted me to look really rough and raw in the role.

What is your equation with Harshvardhan?

We got along from the first day of the shoot. There was never any tension or stress. We trained a lot together " even horse-riding. He is somebody who is very passionate about the craft. Harsh is great fun to be with even though he prefers to keep to himself. He has a good knowledge about Bollywood as well as world cinema. We would discuss that and sports a lot.

What was your reaction when you met Anil and Sonam Kapoor?

Sonam is a darling. She is too sweet. Harsh keeps saying that Sonam and I are similar. Harsh is very particular about his diet and is disciplined whereas I am a foodie and so is Sonam. Anil sir is incredible. Whenever he used to come the energy on the sets changed. Even when he was sitting quietly there would be a buzz on the sets. There is so much to learn from him " his passion and hard work that has sustained his for so long.

Have you signed your next film or are you waiting for the reaction to Mirzya?

I have signed Mani (Ratnam) Sir's Tamil-Telugu bilingual. It was after we had wrapped up Mirzya that I got a call from him. I went and spent time with him, we did some look tests together. I was supposed to start the film, but unfortunately, it got delayed. Now, I am hoping we will start soon.