4 min readMumbaiJul 25, 2014 01:00 AM IST
Anindita Nayar
Launch Vehicle
My character in Amit Sahni Ki List is of the girl Amit Sahni (played by Vir Das) is looking for. Devika, my character, is very different from me. She is ambitious, bright and captivating and knows what she wants. An investment banker, she has studied at the Wharton Business School. She fits into all of Sahni’s clauses and is at par with him in all aspects.
Casting Coup
I always wanted to be an actor. The producers of the film were having a tough time searching for a perfect fit for the role. I had been reading in the news that they had auditioned a lot of newcomers like Kriti Sannon, Pallavi Sharda, etc. Vikrant Chaturvedi, who is a theatre actor, recommended me to the producer and said ‘there’s this girl who has done the Idea commercial, why don’t you consider her?’ They screen tested me and it worked out.
Stepping stone
Earlier I have done the Idea Mobile advertisement. I am mostly seen in the Idea campaign which was spearheaded by Abhishek Bachchan. That commercial did so well that people remember me as the Idea Girl now. I have also done a commercial with Ranbir Kapoor, a Garnier ad with Karisma Kapoor and a bunch of other commercials. But acting was my real calling.
First shot
It was a little chaotic.The camera started rolling and the moment I looked at it, I said ‘Hi’ to it. (giggles). The camera and I have been friends for a long time after all. I am asked, how it felt to be in front of the camera, but at the risk of sounding cliched, I will have to say that it felt like the most natural thing to do. It didn’t feel like my first day at all and the negative things that actors usually experience never happened to me.
The first scene I shot for was of Amit and Devika going shopping and instead of Devika, Amit is the one trying out all the suits, just to annoy her.
The takeaway
There was a time when Vir’s character had to sing a song for me and it had to be spontaneous, he had to come up with one within two minutes. Vir actually did that and I hadn’t heard the song until the moment the scene was being shot. In another scene we were on a big yacht and it was extremely romantic, and. suddenly I felt this is how romance should be. There were Chinese lanterns that were going up in the air, and it just added to the charm. I don’t think that will ever happen to me in real life. Romance was the biggest takeaway from the film.
Stumbling block
I got to understand the technicalities of film-making better. There were no hurdles but emoting and getting the right expressions was quite a learning experience for me. Another aspect that I dealt with was, calming myself so that I don’t put too much energy because the camera captures things differently.
Role model
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I don’t think I have any. It’s very hard to try and emulate anybody’s life. Between my parents and family there are many qualities I look up to. I am mostly inspired by close friends and family. I look upto my maasi as she knows how to live life. She thoroughly enjoys it and this is something I wish to achieve.
Future plans
I have two films lined up for release. In Hasmukh Pighal Gaya, I have Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff as my co-stars. Rannvijay Singh is my hero in 3 am which is directed by Vishal Mahadkar who has early made Blood Money.
kaushani.banerjee@expressindia.com
Anindita Nayar