How Kiara Advani turned her debut debacle into an opportunity to grow, became Bollywood’s rising star

Anees says, “After working with her on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, I felt I should do more films with her. As an actor, she understands what you are asking her to do and why. She is a director’s actor and grasps very fast. There have been times I have asked her to give several takes. While editing those scenes, I was shocked to see how beautifully she performed in that time frame and how she is an expert in her craft. She knows how much to deliver, she never under-performs or over-performs, she catches her rhythm right.”

The filmmaker also says that Kiara has few hang-ups while working. “When we worked together she never had any issues with clothes or time or dates, she was always present on set on time, never comes late. She is very sorted, no complaints, no extravagant demands, no tantrums.”

She is also among the most bankable female stars in Bollywood today. When asked what Kiara brings to the table, trade expert and film producer Girish Johar says, “Kiara Advani is definitely a star and a talent, a rare combination. She not only brings fans to the cinemas to watch her work but also her characters resonate with them. So filmmakers have a certain level of trust in her. While she is at the top right now, she also has a long way to go and do good films. She has a long successful journey ahead,” he adds. He believes her range and talent are her strong points. “She can portray a range of emotions. She is capable of doing various kinds of roles and is not stuck to one genre. Looking at Kiara, one cannot simply put her in one category.”

With her growing popularity and audience’s confidence in her, it is time for Kiara, who is all set to enthrall the audience in Hrithik Roshan’s next WAR 2, to now take a bigger step of shouldering a film and get away from her Preeti (of Kabir Singh) image. Trade agrees that after wowing one and all with her intense performance in Satyaprem Ki Katha, where she played a rape survivor, it is time for her to push the envelope.

On what should Kiara’s next big should look like, Girish adds, “Kiara is one talent who everyone wants to see more and more and she is not only growing in the fanbase but her stature with each film. Having said that I think the audience’s mindset has opened up to so-called ‘female led’ films and it would be great if Kiara could do a film which she totally believes in. There have been her contemporaries who have done films where they are front-lining it. I believe Kiara should also do that and I am pretty confident that she would have the same thought process in her mind but she is just waiting for the right script to reach her. Her talent and her prowess are so big, she is growing so rapidly, I believe sooner or later it is bound to happen.”