Anushka Sharma talks about her films, juggling b/w roles, hollywood

Interview By: Amul Vikas Mohan

Anushka Sharma has been in the industry since 2008. In the last eight years she has had 12 releases and out of which seven movies have been super-hits, that's not all out of the seven movies she has two movies in the All Time Blockbuster' list. And she hasn't even hit her prime yet! Consistency is the name of the game and Anushka is owning that game currently. I met the actress at her home away from home i.e. Yash Raj Studios to talk about how she is soaking in all the accolades coming her way. And everything else under the sun. Read on for excerpts.

In top three highest grossing films, two are yours- PK' and Sultan'. How much accomplishment you feel these days and how do you take that in?

It's a great feeling because it's not something that anybody would not want to have to their credit but I think what I feel really happy about is the films were liked for what the films were also. The films were content driven and had been appreciated for the story, direction, my performance and everything. So, in totality the films were really good. Those kind of films reach that point and why I am saying this because as an actor my endeavours always been to do films which have very strong content. So, whether I am doing NH10', or I am doing PK' or Sultan', the idea is always the same. So, I feel happy when that kind of pays off. That's the only thing that I always try to work towards. And when that is getting rewarded in best way possible because of course numbers are important and when you have that attached to your name, it's obviously a great feeling. The films were good and my performance was appreciated, that's why it feels better.

You have worked with best people in the industry. How do you feel about that and isn't it something like ticking off your bucket list?

One thing I always wanted to do was this, to work with best directors in the country and this was right after Band Baaja Baraat' that I made this list of directors I want to work with and I shared it with Aditya (Chopra) actually before the film release. I said these are people I want to work with. That was very strong thought in my head and today you are right. I have worked with almost all of them and best of them. On films when I feel like I am contributing as a performer, for me that is of ultimate importance. So, yeah, it's obviously a great feeling. Sometimes its bit surreal to understand the fact and the kind of person I am I keep moving forward. I don't like to hold on to my accolades. I just move forward. I am so determined and ambitious as a person that I have to remind myself my achievements to tell myself that I don't think I credit myself enough sometimes.

But why is that? Why are you always low key in putting yourself out there?

I always let my work to talk for me. Before Sultan' release people didn't know what I was doing in the film. People thought it's going to be yet another female role in a Salman Khan film but I waited for people to see it for themselves. I was not going out there and actively trying to say hey I have a great role in the film'. I was not doing that. I was just being quiet and letting things happen because when you let your work speaks for you then you have better position to explain yourself. I don't know how to explain myself and my ambitions without showing my work to people. I cannot go out there successively and excessively to market myself. I can't do that and I don't know how important it is.

But in today's world where almost every celebrity is on social platforms where you connect with the fans directly, and vice-a-versa, how, in this scenario are you able to keep your professional and personal life separate.

I think the communication with fans is very direct because I am active on Twitter and Instagram. Whenever I feel something has been spoken wrong about me, I go out there and I clarify it. I think the place that you are going talking about is media.

But I am saying that because of your Instagram and Twitter post , is where nowadays media will make stories. They will take post or picture of yours and run with it with a whole other angle they have in their mind, right!

I think it's also to do with your PR. Media is more about that. It's all about generated PR. Anyways, the social media feed is for me either going to be something funny or something I am excited about or my work towards animal welfare. It's will be very personal. So, I don't think you can make something out of date. Like today I posted a picture of my Ads and everyone gifting me things after the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' wrap. That was really sweet. So, I posted that because I was deeply touched. I do whatever feels correct to me. That's what I have done with choices of the films that I have made also and I know it worked there. So, you do what you understand.

You shot for Sultan' this year, and finished that. Then you shot for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' and finished that. You shot for your second home production, you finished that as well. Now, you are going to start your next with Imtiaz Ali.

I will also finish Imtiaz Ali's film this year.

When do you take some time off Anushka?

I have not taken a single day break since December last year (2015). The only time I took off was may be for five days around New Years and then when I came back I started working on Sultan'. So, it's been a very difficult year for me in terms of as a lot was expected of me by me. I have taken a lot of work. Not only Sultan' was difficult film for me in terms of the challenges it had as a wrestler and physical aspect but Phillauri' was a film which I was also producing. So, obviously, you are doing a lot more then. Of course my brother is there to handle things but then you are not just appearing on sets and acting when you are producing it also. There are lot of other things that you have to do. So, I didn't really have any time to take a break and I don't think I would have been able to accomplish anything if I had. Its August, July 6th is when Sultan' released by then I had already finished shooting two films, start to finish. People who work in films know that it takes a lot to do that. I was like I am shooting nights and then I am flying to Bombay and then I am shooting days. Then I am flying from here and going there and shooting mornings and it was mad. I was doing double-double shifts. It was like what actors did back in the day, I was actually doing that. You know, when results are good, you don't really care about it. Now, I really want to take little time off but it will be of preparing for Imtiaz's film and that's good enough.

How do you get out of one role and get into another when you are shooting 2-3 films a year because you have to keep it fresh all the time?

It was difficult but the good thing was I had shot most of Sultan' before I started Phillauri'. So, I knew Aarfa's character well. When you have to go back, you just have to remind yourself and little bit thinking of it you get back to it. These all are performance strong films. While I was finishing Ae Dil Hai Mushkil', I was doing readings with Imtiaz. Sometimes it gets bit confusing also. I have different dialects and accents in all films, for sure it was difficult but it's all about management and prioritising things is what I have done. I knew that I will be fully able to sync my teeth into Imtia'z film now. I am only working towards his film right now. Everything else is out of my head. Like Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' is behind me and I am not thinking about it. I am actively and only focussing on Imtiaz's film. So, it's about prioritising and understanding when to stop what and when to start what.

This year you had Sultan' on Eid and Ae Dil Hai Mushkil' is coming on Diwali. Both the dates are big and highly anticipated. How do you feel about that?

You get a kick out of it. You know that your audience is going to be much larger because it being a festival release. I wish I had Christmas too, then i would be covering all the major dates. May be next year I am going to try for that (laughs).

Do you really think of these things or you don't?

Yes, I really don't think about these things. I am so honest with my work and I feel like if you are honest with what you do god rewards you in best way possible. It may sound very simplistic but it's a fact. And that's all I did. I don't know when I realise Sultan' was a Eid release. I don't actively work that way. It just happens if you work hard and if you are good with your intentions towards work. You get rewarded if you stay positive.

You had a very strong character in Sultan' in spite of being a Salman Khan film. His graph is very much because of your actions in the film. What would you like to say about it?

It's definitely a strong role and I think if you go back to any of my films I have always played a very strong character for any of my films and the girls have always been independent they have been had jobs to begin with. There is this survey that happens which actually see do the girls have a back story of female characters in most of the films, do they have jobs, do they work and lot of times they don't and you don't know what are they doing in the films so I always had jobs in my almost all my films I have always been doing something either I am a wedding planner or I am a journalist or I am a dancer but there is ambition that's there. I think that is what a women of today is and it's very important for me to kind of embody those elements and those characteristics in the movies because I think it's kind of, I don't think that's kind of social message or like that but I do feel that it is something that I relate to such characters because I like that as a person and if you think it is important to showcase that and when it gets showcased in a film like Sultan' or PK' which have such a huge audience and I know for a fact that it will have an impact in peoples mind. That's very important rather than actresses just looking like they are just there to add glamour. Those films are also there and those films are also big hits but this is very important because this is important for an entire wider audience to see this. There are women like Aarfa also there are women like Jaggu also who are like that who go against their families like she goes against her father in the film. So it is something that is important for girls to see.

Are Box Office numbers something you look out for specially now when you are a producer too?

Last year, I remember this interview in which somebody was telling me because they felt that I have done good roles and my performances have been appreciated but they felt like you know don't you want have box office numbers? Someone asked me at that time and I remember telling them that "yes, of course but it would depend on the film. If the film is that kind of film that can garner those kind of number I had be very happy and today I am sitting and talking to you and talking about two of the biggest all time blockbusters of India and the top three and me being in two of them. I think that last year what I felt is what's happening now? It's almost going to be about the film it's always going to be about content about anything else for me and I feel I believe so strongly and that's why I have become a producer because I feel that it will work, otherwise I am not out here as a producer to make documentaries of course you want to make mainstream films like Sultan' works because you have not seen that. Aarfa works because you have not seen such a character on screen. People have hunger for new things and I feel like with me having always done that as an actor I believe very strongly that those are the films that work.

Which one character or movie got you going here?

Band Baaja Baarat'. I think there are lot of the films I have done after that and lot of directors I have worked with they have taken me due to Band Baja Baarat' so it have to be that film. That film has given me a lot and right after that I think I can take name of film its Sultan'. But that was when, it was not riding on anyone else like Sultan' a huge credit for my reach that has been in Sultan' is because of Salman Khan because the regional audience probably otherwise my film wouldn't have gone too but with Band Baja Baraat' it was with first time director, debutant actor and then when you kind of get that appreciation and that praise and that popularity that feels more. I think if you look at it the reason I am so strong and I believe so strongly about content and I am not an actress who is running behind projects or like this formula works formula in terms of this kind of film works, last year such kind of film earned so let's do such kind of film and you know you hear a lot from the industry and since you are from trade so you even know more so that this is what people look at it. This has worked so let's do that again suddenly and people are sending script that are really bad and they think because it's a women centric film I am going to do it. I mean why they don't realize that why NH10' is NH10' and why Neerja' is a Neerja' and Queen' is a Queen' and it's because of the content and what I was saying was that content is and is always been very important for me and that is the reason why I am sitting over here and we talking about my success. Well, I have done nothing differently and I have only followed content and that was because my very first film Rab ne Bana Di Jodi', I had a proper role in my very first film then Band Baja Barat' which I am calling my game changer was again a content driven heavy film. So for me I have realized that my success only comes from there and I guess I am only chasing that and because I am only chasing that everything is happening I am working with the best directors, I am working with the three Khans. It's all happening because I am looking at the just good content.

Why are you not doing any Hollywood films?

See it's a great thing as an actor you want to be doing all kinds of work and for me like I told you earlier like for me content, content and content and nothing else. If I am doing something which is a great role representing India and Indian women in the right way and it has something to cater to in terms of storytelling then I will do it or otherwise even there I can say no. It's not like I just want to act for a Hollywood film but I think what Priyanka is doing is superb, second season rolling is a big thing and she has been getting so much appreciation and she is global name today and I anyways have a lot of respect for her because she again comes from a non film background and she is a tough girl. Same with Deepika also. What is coming out seems like It's a promising step, It's all good but for me it has to something like really good I would love to do a Woody Allen film or something like that, for me it always have to be like stories and characters. So if that comes along then yeah sure!