Heady mix

In ‘Cocktail’ I play Meera,a simple,sweet girl from Delhi who has her head firmly on her shoulders and the kind a guy can happily take home to meet his mom. She leaves Delhi to start a new life in London and that’s where she meets Gautam (Saif Ali Khan) and Veronica (Deepika Padukone). A very special bond forms between the three,and it’s through this relationship she discovers some news facets of her personality and comes into her own.

The way I got the role was very dramatic. I remember I was doing a photo-shoot in Rome when I got a call that Illuminati was looking for a new girl for their next movie. I was scheduled to return later,but I immediately flew back and met Dinesh Vijan (the producer) and the director of the film,Homi Adajania. The very next day I got a call that I was on. They told me that I showed promise and that they saw Meera in me.

Stepping Stone

It was in my last year of college at St Xaviers college,Mumbai,that I started working for Elite,the modeling agency. At first it was part-time,as attending college was compulsory,but as soon as I completed college it was full time modelling. I have done a few seasons in Paris and a few in New York and I also went on to become the face of Maybelline. After five years of modelling it was time to move on and do something different and more challenging,something out of my comfort zone.

First Shot

It was quite exciting because my first shot required no dialogues. I remember I had to walk by the river at Hyde Park in London. It was cold,rainy and windy and the scene required me to cry and look sad. I did it the way I thought best and the shot was given the okay in one take. It was a nice way to break in.

Stumbling Block

I had to start from scratch as my experience in acting was zilch. I have attended diction classes,voice modulation,done an acting course. I think dance was my weak point and I had to work really hard on it. For a few months I learnt all kinds of dance forms,from Bharatanatyam to Kathak to Western styles,freestyle and Bollywood dancing.

Lessons Learnt

I had a wonderful time working with the entire team of ‘Cocktail’,including producer Dinesh Vijan who saw the potential in me and director Homi Adajania who helped me become Meera,and of course Saif and Deepika who egged me on to do better. I’d like to believe that the whole industry is like this,helpful and encouraging. It has also been a journey of self-discovery as never could I imagine that I could dance in front of a million people on a set or in the middle of a street in another country.

Matinee Idol

I appreciate a lot of people and the kind of work they do,but I don’t really have an idol. Because I have just worked and interacted with them,I admire Deepika and Saif is somebody I look up to. I’ve also learnt so much by just watching and observing them on the sets.

Future Projects

I have not signed any other film as yet,as the focus is all on ‘Cocktail’.