Posted:
Cosmopolitan Sept 2010 Full Interview: Katrina Kaif: The diva with a heart
Himika Chaudhuri
She's successful, Single, and Superhot. and Katrina Kaif has a story that's perhaps more film-like, than all her film scripts put together. She was just another model less than a decade back, and is now a Bollywood a-lister, a youth icon and much more. Here, the story of how she got it right.
Katrina Kaif could easily have turned us in to the cops for our edging-on-paparazzi behaviour. Well, we've been following her movements across the globe for almost two months now, and having almost booked ourselves on a flight to Spain to meet her (she was shooting for Zoya Akhtar's next there), we finally managed to steal two hour of her time, closer home, in Mumbai. The wait, indeed, was worth it: because this Diva is a Cosmo chica in the truest sense, and here she's generously shared her experiences about work, life and relationships. Cosmo gets you super tips from a superstar.
Cosmo: Single again. A new phase in life?
Katrina Kaif:I don't know what all this furore about me being single 'again' is all about? I have maintained for the last four years that I am single. This is my way of saying that there are certain things that I don't want to discuss and these are beyond the purview of the media or the public. So, I have said nothing new by saying I am single. This quote from a recent press conference was blown out of proportion. There's nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING, new in what I have said this time.
Cosmo: But the quote came shortly after Salman told the media you have broken up.
KK: Yes, and maybe that gave the media another chance to make big stories out of my statement. My statement has no connection with what anyone else has said, it was quoted out of context, and I don't wish to discuss this any further.
Cosmo:How important is a romantic relationship for you? You have everything going for you. A great career, stardom, recognition. Do you really need a man to complete your life? Do you really think a young, successful woman needs the approval of a man to make her happy?
KK:It would be different for different people. But for me, it's very important. I belong to that mindset where having a husband and children are very important. I dream of being married and having kids and living happily ever after. That's me.
Cosmo: But that's not in the immediate future…
KK: It's not in my hands, you see. It will happen when it's destined to happen. I have not been able to control anything that has happened in my life till date, and there's no way I can control this either. But yes, like a really close friend of mine once told me, if you choose a wrong person for yourself you can ruin your life. I realise that choosing the right person is really important. He has to be trustworthy and dependable. Someone who will stand by you throughout. And that's what I will look for.
Cosmo: Talking about family, you spend all your big days with your sisters and mom. One hardly hears of you partying away on your birthday, for instance. You are a home body, is it?
KK: You know, there's so little time I get beyond work that I try and steal that to be with my closest people. We sisters are just a year apart from each and really close. One of my sister's has a 3-year-old daughter, and it would be a pity if I didn't see her growing up. So, I try and work out my schedule such that on days like Christmas, New Year or my birthday, we are all together. Typically for women who have very packed professional lives, the challenge is to divide time between your partner and your family. But, the ideal situation is when your partner also understands that your family is priority for you, and agrees to be part of these gatherings. Then, it's one happy scene.
Cosmo: You are the classic story of how a young girl travelled to another country, took up challenges, and is today a huge name in Bollywood. This is a story of a true Cosmo girl. Share with us, how one can take her life from 0 to 100 in less than 10 years?
KK: Hmm...m, well, a recap! This is close to my heart, and my list is long. I would say, focus and be honest, to start with. Life is all about priorities, and it's important to know what to focus on. And it's equally important to be honest to oneself while choosing a profession. If you have a job that you honestly don't love doing, then you will never excel in it, and you will never be the best. The other thing that I have learnt in these years in Bollywood, especially, having come from a completely different country, is that it's extremely important to adapt yourself to different situations if you want to do well. being stubborn they are proving a point, but that actually goes against them. I'm not saying do whatever is being asked of you, but be flexible, only then will you be able to find new opportunities and learn new things, both of which are very important for professional growth.
Also, learn to trust the right people. It's an extremely competitive world out there. I am an actress, you could be a corporate lawyer, a fashion designer or a pilot, but the pressure that all of us are under is almost similar. When we are rising up the professional ladder, and when we get too engrossed in our work, we often get excited by opportunities and prospects and lose the real perspective. That's when you need to turn to these people. At times you might not agree with them, you might think they are stopping you from taking the most obvious decisions. But, listen to them carefully because they are unbiased.
And finally, treat every opportunity that you get as do or die. There should always be the passion to do things better and differently. In every movie that I do, I try to do something extra. Be it working on my abs to flaunt a choli, or practicing Hindi to deliver my dialogues in Rajneeti better, I have always done that extra bit to make my work stand out.
Cosmo: Confidence is key to success as well, would you agree?
KK: Well, this is a tricky one. I think, it's a little bit of an egg and chicken situation. If you don't have confidence on your abilities you can't get ahead, and at the same time, the more successful you become, the more confident you get. Well, I agree that confidence is key to who you are. But, it's not something that you can acquire overnight. As you work your way up, you realise what your strengths are and you build on them and your confidence grows with it.
One has often heard you say that you don't like to dress up when you are not working. You aren't a fashion diva in real life…
KK: Not at all. I am far, far removed from the glamourous woman you see me as in many of my films. In fact when I am not working I have almost no make-up on, I love to wear track pants and tees and just chill. But, I'm not saying that it's a great thing I do. Yes, that's me, but I am equally amazed at how someone like Sonam always manages to look so stylish. I see pictures of her at airports when she's travelling, and she's so immaculately dressed, so well co-ordinated. I can't do it myself, but I love seeing other people do it.
Cosmo: But you do follow a beauty regimen…
KK: Of course, eating healthy and going to the gym are habits that are great for your system at all times. Your skin looks great, your hair shines and you feel like a better person. Especially if you have good skin, half your battle of looking good is won.
Cosmo: Healthy, smooth skin you mean…
KK: Yes. I know we're all on the move these days and it does become difficult for most girls to follow very strict diet schedules, or have a very elaborate skin regimen. But we still have to look good, and the trick therefore is to find safe and efficient ways of getting smooth skin. Veet for instance, has this Ready to Use Wax Strips that are a great way to wax and get smooth skin. It's a very basic product, that's easy to use and saves time. It's efficient and really safe and women can use it in the comforts of their own homes and wax themselves smooth in really no time. I think it's a great product.
Cosmo: Thank you for talking to us…
KK: The pleasure's mine too. It's Cosmo's anniversary next month, right? I'll look forward to that issue. I read that every year, even if I can't pick up every issue, I definitely read the fat, fabulous issues every October.
Himika Chaudhuri
She's successful, Single, and Superhot. and Katrina Kaif has a story that's perhaps more film-like, than all her film scripts put together. She was just another model less than a decade back, and is now a Bollywood a-lister, a youth icon and much more. Here, the story of how she got it right.
Katrina Kaif could easily have turned us in to the cops for our edging-on-paparazzi behaviour. Well, we've been following her movements across the globe for almost two months now, and having almost booked ourselves on a flight to Spain to meet her (she was shooting for Zoya Akhtar's next there), we finally managed to steal two hour of her time, closer home, in Mumbai. The wait, indeed, was worth it: because this Diva is a Cosmo chica in the truest sense, and here she's generously shared her experiences about work, life and relationships. Cosmo gets you super tips from a superstar.
Cosmo: Single again. A new phase in life?
Katrina Kaif:I don't know what all this furore about me being single 'again' is all about? I have maintained for the last four years that I am single. This is my way of saying that there are certain things that I don't want to discuss and these are beyond the purview of the media or the public. So, I have said nothing new by saying I am single. This quote from a recent press conference was blown out of proportion. There's nothing, and I repeat, NOTHING, new in what I have said this time.
Cosmo: But the quote came shortly after Salman told the media you have broken up.
KK: Yes, and maybe that gave the media another chance to make big stories out of my statement. My statement has no connection with what anyone else has said, it was quoted out of context, and I don't wish to discuss this any further.
Cosmo:How important is a romantic relationship for you? You have everything going for you. A great career, stardom, recognition. Do you really need a man to complete your life? Do you really think a young, successful woman needs the approval of a man to make her happy?
KK:It would be different for different people. But for me, it's very important. I belong to that mindset where having a husband and children are very important. I dream of being married and having kids and living happily ever after. That's me.
Cosmo: But that's not in the immediate future…
KK: It's not in my hands, you see. It will happen when it's destined to happen. I have not been able to control anything that has happened in my life till date, and there's no way I can control this either. But yes, like a really close friend of mine once told me, if you choose a wrong person for yourself you can ruin your life. I realise that choosing the right person is really important. He has to be trustworthy and dependable. Someone who will stand by you throughout. And that's what I will look for.
Cosmo: Talking about family, you spend all your big days with your sisters and mom. One hardly hears of you partying away on your birthday, for instance. You are a home body, is it?
KK: You know, there's so little time I get beyond work that I try and steal that to be with my closest people. We sisters are just a year apart from each and really close. One of my sister's has a 3-year-old daughter, and it would be a pity if I didn't see her growing up. So, I try and work out my schedule such that on days like Christmas, New Year or my birthday, we are all together. Typically for women who have very packed professional lives, the challenge is to divide time between your partner and your family. But, the ideal situation is when your partner also understands that your family is priority for you, and agrees to be part of these gatherings. Then, it's one happy scene.
Cosmo: You are the classic story of how a young girl travelled to another country, took up challenges, and is today a huge name in Bollywood. This is a story of a true Cosmo girl. Share with us, how one can take her life from 0 to 100 in less than 10 years?
KK: Hmm...m, well, a recap! This is close to my heart, and my list is long. I would say, focus and be honest, to start with. Life is all about priorities, and it's important to know what to focus on. And it's equally important to be honest to oneself while choosing a profession. If you have a job that you honestly don't love doing, then you will never excel in it, and you will never be the best. The other thing that I have learnt in these years in Bollywood, especially, having come from a completely different country, is that it's extremely important to adapt yourself to different situations if you want to do well. being stubborn they are proving a point, but that actually goes against them. I'm not saying do whatever is being asked of you, but be flexible, only then will you be able to find new opportunities and learn new things, both of which are very important for professional growth.
Also, learn to trust the right people. It's an extremely competitive world out there. I am an actress, you could be a corporate lawyer, a fashion designer or a pilot, but the pressure that all of us are under is almost similar. When we are rising up the professional ladder, and when we get too engrossed in our work, we often get excited by opportunities and prospects and lose the real perspective. That's when you need to turn to these people. At times you might not agree with them, you might think they are stopping you from taking the most obvious decisions. But, listen to them carefully because they are unbiased.
And finally, treat every opportunity that you get as do or die. There should always be the passion to do things better and differently. In every movie that I do, I try to do something extra. Be it working on my abs to flaunt a choli, or practicing Hindi to deliver my dialogues in Rajneeti better, I have always done that extra bit to make my work stand out.
Cosmo: Confidence is key to success as well, would you agree?
KK: Well, this is a tricky one. I think, it's a little bit of an egg and chicken situation. If you don't have confidence on your abilities you can't get ahead, and at the same time, the more successful you become, the more confident you get. Well, I agree that confidence is key to who you are. But, it's not something that you can acquire overnight. As you work your way up, you realise what your strengths are and you build on them and your confidence grows with it.
One has often heard you say that you don't like to dress up when you are not working. You aren't a fashion diva in real life…
KK: Not at all. I am far, far removed from the glamourous woman you see me as in many of my films. In fact when I am not working I have almost no make-up on, I love to wear track pants and tees and just chill. But, I'm not saying that it's a great thing I do. Yes, that's me, but I am equally amazed at how someone like Sonam always manages to look so stylish. I see pictures of her at airports when she's travelling, and she's so immaculately dressed, so well co-ordinated. I can't do it myself, but I love seeing other people do it.
Cosmo: But you do follow a beauty regimen…
KK: Of course, eating healthy and going to the gym are habits that are great for your system at all times. Your skin looks great, your hair shines and you feel like a better person. Especially if you have good skin, half your battle of looking good is won.
Cosmo: Healthy, smooth skin you mean…
KK: Yes. I know we're all on the move these days and it does become difficult for most girls to follow very strict diet schedules, or have a very elaborate skin regimen. But we still have to look good, and the trick therefore is to find safe and efficient ways of getting smooth skin. Veet for instance, has this Ready to Use Wax Strips that are a great way to wax and get smooth skin. It's a very basic product, that's easy to use and saves time. It's efficient and really safe and women can use it in the comforts of their own homes and wax themselves smooth in really no time. I think it's a great product.
Cosmo: Thank you for talking to us…
KK: The pleasure's mine too. It's Cosmo's anniversary next month, right? I'll look forward to that issue. I read that every year, even if I can't pick up every issue, I definitely read the fat, fabulous issues every October.
Anupamaa
5