Rising STAR

Today, the audience demands different cinema, and the crazy, mass response to Haider proves it. The reaction has been phenomenal to this revenge family drama. Even my response has never been so drastic to any of my films like the way it was to Haider when I first saw the footage.

It was the first time that you have worked with Vishal Bhardwaj. What was the experience working with him?

Like Mohit Suri, Vishal sir (Vishal Bhardwaj) was on my wish-list since the longest. I was very fortunate to have worked with Mohit sir and now Vishal sir. I can never forget the day I was signed for Arshiya, a Kashmiri journalist who is a go-getter of sorts. Vishal sir makes you feel so good about yourself. He makes you feel that you are the best actor just by the way he gives you a feedback. Also his way of explaining a scene is very simple and easy to understand. Even though my character is complex, Vishal sir does the thinking for you. Mohit sir on the other hand is a director who tells you to enact a scene the way you want, but he makes sure that you put all your feelings into what you do.

It was also the first time that you worked with Shahid Kapoor.

Oh, we had a gala time, especially when we were shooting in the snow in Kashmir. I remember we fell down whilst shooting and Vishal sir retained the scene. I saw Shahid’s crazy side and his sense of humour.

From the footage of the film, it is apparent that there are several intimate scenes between you and Shahid. How comfortable were you doing them and did you set any limitations for yourself?

One sets limitations when there is a lack of conviction and I had full faith in Vishal sir.

What’s your take on Tabu playing Shahid’s mother in Haider?

The mother-son relationship has several conflicting emotions. It’s an iconic role and I don’t think who else could have played the part as well as her.

And what was your experience shooting in Kashmir?

It was the most wonderful experience. We spent a lot of time interacting with people and I was amazed at the love they bestowed upon us. The beauty of the place had left such an impact on me, that I was thinking about it even when I returned to Mumbai.

Would you label Haider as a multiplex film?

Actually, the divide between multiplex and single screen films is narrowing down quickly, especially in the north. Today, even the single screen audience is demanding different cinema and that’s great.

Going back a little, your last film Ek Villain was your first Rs.100 crore film!

I am so excited and happy that I have a Rs.100 crore film to my credit. The best feedback I got was when Mohit sir went to Gaiety theatre (a single screen in Mumbai) and he told me about the audience reaction when I came on screen. They were whistling, clapping and shouting. It was nice to hear that.

Did you expect to get such a response?

 Ek Villain was my biggest reward and the best film that I could do after Aashiqui 2. I remember when Aashiqui 2 got over Mohit sir asked me if I would do his next film and as soon as he finished explaining the first scene I told him I was doing it. In both the films, I play the girl-next-door, but my character Ayesha was so different from the Aarohi of Aashiqui 2. Though I was confident, I was a lot more nervous for this one, because with Aashiqui 2 there were no expectations. But this time round it was like, what is Mohit sir going to do now. Will the film be as big a hit?

Ayesha and then Arshiya, which character was more challenging?

I had to mouth a lot of dialogues as Ayesha, and the most challenging part was to remember them. To give you an example, if you put the dialogues from all my three films, Teen Pati, Luv Ka The End and Aashiqui 2, they were less compared to what I had to say in Ek Villain. I just had to take a deep breathe and talk, talk, talk. Besides,I was very happy about doing my own stunts. Arshiya is a more complex role and playing it has given me confidence that I am versatile and can tackle different roles.

You sang Galliyaan in Ek Villain. Was it a new challenge?

I love singing. In fact, I wanted to give the playback to my own songs in Aashiqui 2, and had even requested Mohit sir, but he did not agree. Later, I understood the reason for his refusal. The songs needed a certain level of professionalism as I was a professional singer in the film. This time round, he asked me if I would sing the female version of Galliyaan and I was thrilled. It was a very casual thing and not really planned. But Mohit sir has the knack for picking up dark and painful kind of music which makes it very exciting to sing.

Do you do regular riyaaz?

No, I am very inconsistent. Sometimes I train for a few days with my grandfather and at times with my teacher.

With two big hits in your pocket and a Vishal Bhardwaj film up for release how do you plan to choose your movies now?

I won’t deny that there is a crazy pressure because Aashiqui 2 came out of nowhere and became a phenomenon, and then Ek Villain.
People, now expect a lot from me. So, I want to work with really good directors and films with good scripts. My next after Haider is ABCD 2. I had seen ABCD and had liked the fact that despite it being a film on dance, there was a story and the characters were so real— ones you could connect to. I am training like a mad woman for ABCD 2. I loved dancing even as a child and am finally getting to do that in ABCD 2. It’s very exciting, because it’s a street dance in hip hop style. And then I am also on a special diet to gain muscle.

There’s a lot of talk about you and your Aashiqui 2 co-star Aditya Roy Kapur.

Aditya and I became very good friends after Aashiqui 2, as the film completely changed our lives. Now we get along very well.

There were reports that you do not wish to work with older actors.

On the contrary, I am dying to working with Aamir and Shah Rukh Khan. Some mad person said that, and a mad person wrote it.

Who would you say helped you the most to reach where you are today?

Mohit sir of course and then Adi sir (Aditya Chopra), my family and my patience!

What was your struggle phase like after your first film Teen Patti and then Luv Ka The End, didn’t fare well?

I am glad I went through that phase as it mentally prepared me to handle success. I used to get upset at first, but with my patience and family’s support, I pulled myself out of that dark phase. But I am glad I have experienced failure before tasting success. If you experience success and then failure you cannot handle it.

Marathi cinema is on an upswing today. Since you are half Maharashtrian, if offered, would you do a Marathi film?

I am glad that Marathi cinema is doing so well. Riteish (Deshmukh) had shown me the promo of Lai Bhaari while dubbing for Ek Villain and I loved it. I wanted to watch the film, which has become a blockbuster, but still haven’t. More power to Marathi cinema. I have not yet got any offers, but I’ll never say never and am greedy to grab great opportunities!