Old-world Charm

People have commented on your strong screen presence.
I’ll find that out from the audience’s response once the movie releases. A lot of people have also been telling my father that I have an old-world charm and  that after Madhuri Dixit they see that charm in me. That has been the best compliment I have got.

What did your parents say when they saw the promo?
Mom is enjoying the attention a lot! She reads every single line written about me and reads out something to me from time to time. She’s overjoyed! Dad,on the other hand,gets very emotional. He couldn’t control his tears when he saw the first look of the film.

And what was your reaction?
‘Hmmm..not bad,that was a good job’,I said to myself. Frankly,I love everything about my film,even when I become this typical Bihari bahu!

What did you discover about yourself when you started shooting for Dabangg?
I discovered that I loved to act and that I’m good at taking orders. Obviously the person who has written the story has a particular vision and knows every aspect of the script. So I listened to Abhinav Kashyap,who is also the director. That worked in my favour.

Were you apprehensive that you were starting your career with a male-dominated action film?
I have a strong part of a very fearless girl who is one of the three protagonists in the film along with Salman and Arbaaz Khan. If it’s a hit it will be to my advantage too. Being a part of a project like this is a good start for any newcomer.

How was your first shot? Were you nervous?
It was a shot in which I had  to walk past Salman and then turn around and look at him. It was easy and I was not nervous at all.

Are all the reports about Salman taking you under his wing true?
Yes! We used to work out religiously after pack-up and he would make me walk up the hills of Panchgani. He’s very particular about fitness and helped me tremendously. I’ve learnt a lot about acting,fitness and even painting from him. My comfort level with him as a family friend transformed into good chemistry on screen.

And how comfortable were you doing the romantic scenes with him?
We would make fun of the scenes before and after the shots. At the end of the day you are doing your job with people telling you what to do. But I would make sure my mother who would accompany me to the sets was in the other room and nowhere near the monitor when I was doing these scenes!

Were you comfortable wearing sarees and ghaghras?
I like wearing sarees. But it was the first time I was wearing sarees whilst singing a romantic song. I enjoyed it. But I won’t deny that after pack-up I would run into my van to slip into my jeans.

What did you enjoy doing the most?
I loved doing the song-and-dance sequences. Besides the romantic song we shot in Dubai,there is one whacky number which goes like Humka peeni hai. Actually I was not supposed to be in it but Salman insisted that I should be a part of it. It was shot at Mehboob Studios in Mumbai and I enjoyed myself throughly while filming it.

Would you visit film sets during your childhood or were you kept away from it all?
We were not kept away and I was very aware about what was happening in the industry. I would accompany dad once in a while to the sets because my brother Luv would go and I wanted to tag along too. I loved watching dad’s films  and thought he was fabulous in films like Kalicharan,Dostana and Khilona.

Have you inherited his acting genes?
I know that I have inherited his confidence!

Would you have liked it if your mom continued acting in films?
Yes,I would have liked to see more of her on screen. Ever since she did Jodhaa Akbar,I have been telling her to take up some more work.

You must be inundated with offers. What kind of films are you looking at?
Any project that looks good to me! It could be a commercial entertainer or even something off-beat. Cinema has progressed and you cannot tell what’s gonna work and what’s not. The only thing I will keep in mind is that it should not affect my father’s image. After all I don’t have to buy a house or a car so I can afford to wait for good projects. And I am keen to work with all the top actors and directors.

Have you signed anything as yet?
There are a lot of offers, but I haven’t signed any film except Arbaaz Khan’s next. He liked my work and said that I would be working in his next.

When you decided to join films the only advice your dad gave you was to take your mother along wherever you go. Does it still stand?
Yes! Mom will accompany me on my shoots. I like to have her around!

What are you doing presently doing besides promoting your film?
I’m still working on my weight. It’s been very hard to knock off kilos and presently it has hit a plateau. But I have to keep at it. That is the story of my life.

How do you plan to cope with reports about your personal life? Recently,there was a report about your alleged break-up with Aditya Shroff.
I will try and be indifferent to them.