Pushing the envelope

Katrina,who made an impact as a glamour girl,is now looking to prove her mettle as an actress with substance. New York and Raajneeti were a step in that direction,though she also has a Tees Maar Khan that had nothing going for it except her sizzling item number Sheela ki jawani. The fun is to mix it up and keep experimenting in the space of entertaining cinema, reasons the actress. So,for a Zindagi.. which she says is pitched diffently,there’s a whacky romcom Mere Brother.. that has her in a comic role.

While all her forthcoming releases have her in solo hero starrers,Zindagi is the only one which is a multistarrer. I always see the script first,question myself whether I would want to watch such a film and only then go ahead. Raajneeti was a multistarrer with five guys,Zindagi..has three guys. I need not be in every scene but I can still make an impact, she says confidently.

So,though Zindagi.. is basically a coming-of-age story of three guys — Hrithik Roshan,Abhay Deol and Farhan Akhtar — it is Katrinas character Laila who becomes the catalyst and inspires them to think what they want from life.

The youth in the age group of 29-30 will relate to the film. Thats the time when you have a lot of family pressures. Even in the liberal society that you and me come from,some of my friends who are boys are feeling the social pressure of getting married,having a good job etc, explains Katrina,who as Hrithiks love interest helps him tackle the pressures. Zindagi…,she insists is a different kind of film. Even the performances are pitched differently and I am curious to know how people react to this, she says anxiously.

Is it because her last film,Tees Maar Khan was a flop? She dismisses the query. Every movie is different and has its own merits. You take a film because you believe in it but you cant predict its fate. As long as your intention is right,you cannot regret doing any film. Strangely,for someone who has collected awards,been bestowed with titles ranging from the most beautiful to the most sexy actress,landed the best brand endorsements and even has a Barbie doll modelled on her,Katrina is the sort who worries a lot. I dont relate to the philosophy of live life today,dont bother about tomorrow. I take a lot of stress and worry about what will happen after 10 years, sighs the actress.

This is in complete contrast to her character in Zindagi.. who believes in living life to the fullest. Thats the fun of being an actor. You get to be a different person, she smiles. Which is why as a deep-sea diving teacher,Katrina had to first learn the sport. She trained for four days in a swimming-pool but when she went on location for the shoot,the light-eyed beauty found herself out of her depth,literally and figuratively. There was a lot of turbulence,choppiness and roughness to the water. I thought if I am getting bashed while swimming,what will happen underneath the water. I didnt account for it and it was quite traumatic. However,since I love pushing myself,I learnt how to control myself under panic and ended up enjoying the whole experience, recounts the actress who also did some dirt-biking. A lover of bikes,Katrina had a little experience in bike-riding but not on a huge motorcycle that is required for the sport. I fell off the bike once or twice but the thing about these vehicles is that you have to get up and get on immediately otherwise you will end up with paranoia, she explains.

However,shooting for the film was not just about working hard. She partied a lot too. Since the entire team was stationed in Spain,they had become one big family and went out together for dinner and concerts. Once all of them went to a night concert and ended up being there till 5 am. They also travelled in open-air trains in Barcelona. We also visited beautiful places like Valencia and Rhonda. My sister Isabella had joined me there so we had our own little fun passing comments at the guys, grins the actress.

Talking about Isabella,isnt she trying to gain a foothold in Bollywood? No. Thats a little unfair to her. She is studying right now in New York and she will come to India in December. If she is keen on films,we will announce it and I will make sure everyone knows about it, defends the protective elder sister.

Coming back to her films,Katrina is looking forward to shooting for Ek Tha Tiger. Isnt she donning a de-glam look in a portion of the film? Not really,the film has a lot of glamour quotient and action, she says. It is the high-energy,fast-paced film Kabir (Khan) is known for. As for going de-glam,its not a big deal,it will be as and when the situation requires, the leggy lass says citing the examples of New York and Raajneeti,which had her sans make-up in many scenes. Now that she is pairing with ex-beau Salman,will she also be doing Ayan Mukerjis film with Ranbir Kapoor? As of now,theres nothing on those lines. If theres anything,it will be announced, she says calmly.

Lastly,how does she plan to bring in her birthday on July 16,we query? Since Zindagi.. is releasing on 15th I will pray and hope that the film is accepted and have a celebration in the night, she signs off.

chaya.unnikrishnanexpressindia.com