Peak Hour

It was Khan,long-time family friend,who helped her change her mind,insists the debutante. “ In college I was hugely overweight. But when I lost those extra 30 kilos,I was coaxed by Salman uncle to take a look at the script. Once I did,it was too exciting to let go of the offer. I suppose it’s not that I was averse to acting. It was just that there was nothing exciting to make an effort for,” gushes Sinha,in between a short break from her dubbing session at a Mumbai studio.

The film,which will tentatively release on September 17,is set in a fictional place,Lalganj,in Uttar Pradesh,and portrays Sinha as a headstrong village girl pitched opposite Khan. The film also stars actors Sonu Sood,Vinod Khanna,Dimple Kapadia,Anupam Kher,Mahie Gill and Arbaaz Khan and is a character-based family drama. Incidentally Arbaaz Khan debuts as a producer with this project.

Acting opposite Salman turned out to be quite a ball. “I have known him since my childhood,so it was not initimidating at all. Also,my character required me to speak shudh Hindi,which is something I am proficient at. I did not have to practice an accent or take language classes since we all speak Hindi at home,” says Sinha,with the air of a seasoned actor. Her mother chaperoned her on the sets,whipping up lovely meals for the unit,but Sinha says she spent the time between shots taking painting lessons from Salman and indulging in her passion for photography.

Her dad is yet to see her in front of the camera,but Sinha says she does imbibe his style of acting. “There is a subtle resemblance between us on screen,but that’s not unusual,“ says the youngster,who was training to be a fashion designer before the offer came along.

While her brother Luv’s debut film Sadiyaan might have sunk at the BO without a trace,despite immense support from their father,for her own debut Sinha is keeping her fingers crossed. “ I am enjoying acting now. I will gladly accept my father’s patronage,but I know there will be a time when I have to break away and do my own thing,’ she says.