Palak Tiwari shares what she learnt from mother Shweta Tiwari’s journey: ‘Take your career seriously, not yourself’

“My mother’s career has taught me that you can’t take yourself too seriously. You need to take your career seriously, but not the ups and downs, the vicissitudes of this industry too seriously. If you have a high, you will most certainly face a low. That’s a definite. It is just something that you need to get used to.

“I am prepared for it; this is one industry where you need to prove your worth every single time you come in a film. It is not easy. You get a lot of love and respect, but you have to work the hardest to retain it. That’s what I have learnt from her, and that’s one thing I want to apply to my work,” the actor tells indianexpress.com.

The action-comedy Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan is scheduled to release on April 21. The film gave Palak the opportunity to work alongside Salman Khan, whom she had first met as an eight year old when her mother was entering Bigg Boss. She says the superstar has been “in and out of” her life through phases, with her earliest memory of him being that he gives “the best hug”.

“He first came in life when I was eight years old, after that he called me for a film that didn’t materialise. Then he said I am ready to learn a few things, so I should be an assistant director on Antim. I got to shadow him in Antim, learnt how it is on a set. With this film, he just called me one day and asked me to consider taking up the film. I didn’t take up the film just out of respect for him, I did hear the script as well as an actor. It is a wonderful script, a true family entertainer,” she says.

Palak insists on Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, she learnt “much more than people can learn in a whole career” as she closely saw Salman not just as a co-star but a producer.

“It is a learning space, and I am grateful that I got a chance to work with him, which is a different ballgame. I leant how he is as an actor, how he is on set. He has a peculiar style, the way he shows love and affection, the way he treats his actors, his crew, it is very family like. I didn’t come on board Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan when I was working on Antim. I think it was very last minute for all of us.

“One of the reasons we all personally bonded with him is because he kept asking us, ‘What next after this? How are you using this opportunity and making the most of it?’ He was very invested in that. He wants us to have a future after this. I remember when I signed my next and I told him, he was the happiest and so proud. He has no reason to feel that way, but that’s his heart.”

Directed by Farhad Samjhi the film also stars Pooja Hegde, Shehnaaz Gill, Raghav Juyal and Siddharth Nigam.