With less than a week to go before the film hits the theaters, what's going on in your head?
I wasn't feeling any pressure all this while. But now, I am getting a little nervous and I think I'm going to get more anxious with each passing day till the film comes out. Since it's my first film, I obviously don't want anything to go wrong with it.
What kind of conversations are you having with Salman Khan and other well-wishers?
Actually, I haven't gotten a lot of time to meet Salman. We've been travelling extensively and he's also keeping quite busy. I haven't even gotten the time to talk to my family!
Amidst all the pre-release chaos, who is acting as your guiding light?
My mother (Zarina Wahab). She's the perfect guide as she's the one who loves me and cares about me the most. I'd go to her in a heartbeat.
If you take Salman's association away from Hero, do you think the film would have still been as hugely anticipated?
Athiya and I have worked really, really hard on this one. We've spent the last two years of our life on it. I've seen the movie and I think we've done a fairly good job for a first film!
Having said that, Salman sir's brand value definitely adds a lot to the project. However, I do feel that if it was marketed and presented well, people would still like Hero without Salman's association. He has a humongous fan-following and that will only add to the number of people watching our film.
Are you prepared for stardom?
We're prepared for both, stardom and failure. We're prepared for everything that will come our way because that is the way the industry functions. You can never predict which way it will go.
Who are your dream directors from Bollywood?
Rajkumar Hirani and Kabir Khan.
Nikhil Advani has made everything from romantic dramas to political thrillers. Which is your favourite film of his?
D-Day, definitely.
Which was the toughest scene in the film?
The part when I am seen punching the bag in the snow. We were shooting in -17 degrees, and my hands and body went numb after shooting it. I felt unwell after shooting it because of the cold. Also, the laser act in the song Dance Ke Legend took a toll on me physically. It was probably tougher than the snow scene.
Among your contemporaries, who do you think could turn out to be your fiercest competitor?
I think Varun Dhawan and Tiger Shroff are in for the long run.
Finally, why do you think people should watch Hero?
Firstly, the cast has worked tremendously hard. If you like the promo, you already know that it's a romantic film. But it's romance that you can watch with your parents as well as your kids.