Daisy Shah: I Have Seen H'wood Nude Scenes With My Mother

In an exclusive interview with SpotboyE, Hate Story 3 actress Daisy Shah opens up about her reasons for doing the sex-laced drama, Salman Khan, and why she was 'hurt' and 'upset' after her launch-pad Jai Ho failed to work in a big way. Read on:

How familiar were you with the first two installments of Hate Story? Did you know what you were signing up for?
I have seen both and I loved them. Both films are strong as far as the storyline is concerned. They are also women-centric - isn't it thrilling to see women take revenge on-screen? In fact, I saw the films only after word of mouth about them spread. However, I never thought that I'd be a part of Hate Story 3 but here I am!


Did you consult your mentor Salman Khan before taking the plunge?
Of course. You always need one person on speed-dial, one guy who can sort you out no matter what the problem is. For me, it is Mr. Khan. He's been around for too long to be not able to sense if something is right or wrong. I completely rely on him and why shouldn't I? I have access to him, so no harm in going to him for advice. He doesn't push you into doing things, but gives you reasons on why you should or shouldn't do a film.

There are a lot of explicit sex scenes in the film. Were you prepared to bare it all, or were you skeptical?
I was very hesitant. So, I went to Salman and he helped me make up my mind. He told me the character in Hate Story 3 is very strong. In Jai Ho, I was a little 'vele-type ki' (random and blah), but this one has a lot of layers. Salman doesn't even kiss on-screen, but he doesn't impose his thoughts on you. There was a kiss scene and a make-out scene even in 2 States and Ram-Leela, so why should Hate Story 3 be any different?

Perhaps because those films didn't depend on titillation/sexual content to attract people in....
I am not denying that. People want to see all this, but they will also criticise it. We live in a very hypocritical society.

Since you were hesitant to sign the film, how did you eventually get comfortable with the idea?
We decided that the intimate scenes will be shot towards the end. By the time we had to shoot the sex portions, we were very comfortable with each other. I still had a lot of negative thoughts in my head -- What if I am not able to pull it off? What if it looks tacky and bad? But the director (Vishal Pandya) and choreographer (Dimple Ganguly) held my hand and took me through.

How did your family react once the teasers came out?
Fortunately, I come from a very liberal family. I have seen Hollywood films with nude scenes with my mother. Nobody had any reservations about me doing Hate Story 3.
However, I am not sure if I will repeat the experience. I did it once to break the perception. I don't know if I am ready to do it all over again.

Your debut film Jai Ho didn't work in a big way despite being a Salman Khan-starrer. It was promptly declared a flop...
I will correct you there. The film amassed over Rs 120 crore at the ticket price of Rs 180/200. Since the tagline of the film itself was 'People's Man', we couldn't go ahead and empty the pockets of the common man. Had the price been in the range of Rs 300/350/400, the film would have been a bigger hit than Kick. Unfortunately, the media doesn't want to project facts. Our agenda was to reach out to a lot of people, which Jai Ho did.

But your fortunes didn't change overnight like it happened, say, with Sonakshi Sinha
That is true. People went to watch the film for Salman Khan and not Daisy Shah. He is too big a superstar and for him, a box-office flop won't make a big difference. He was, he is and he will continue to be the star he is. But the ones who get affected are the actors debuting alongside him. I wasn't appreciated then...that was a fact. I didn't get bombarded with offers. Whatever came my way, wasn't good enough. Why do you think I am doing Hate Story 3?

Maybe because it was the best option...
Only to change my perception in the industry. The role I am playing in this movie is vastly different from Jai Ho. I played a girl-next-door in that film and after that, got no offers. I really don't know why that happened. I was upset and hurt the way the film was presented. I was hurt how the movie was declared a flop by the critics and the media.

How did you deal with that disappointment?
You have to cope up. You make sure you work harder, you look good every time you step out. You have to prove yourself right...it is a cut-throat industry.

Isn't that too much pressure to deal with?
It can get insane, it is not an easy job at all. Socialising helps a lot, but I am not too good at it. Some people are just talkative and that helps them in their careers, too.

Finally, what are your expectations from Hate Story 3?
It can make or break me. I hope the film works and more doors open for me. I also want people to see a different shade of Daisy.  

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