Sonam: I am not in this industry to become a star
Here's the latest update from the world of Bollywood. We bet you wouldn't want to miss this. Read on for details... The Kapoor girl wants to prove her acting mettle with Neerja
Sonam Kapoor is known more for her Alexander McQueen gowns than for her acting. But she hopes to change that with her upcoming film, Neerja – a biopic on the Pan Am air hostess who lost her life while saving passengers aboard a hijacked flight. SpotboyE caught up with Sonam ahead of the film’s release for a quick chat. Excerpts:
Time and again, you have said that you were very stressed when you did Neerja...
I was under a lot of physical and mental stress because the shooting was very gruelling. Also, when you are doing a film like Neerja, it’s your responsibility -- towards her family, friends and the country -- to present it with conviction. Neerja was a 23-year-old girl who saved the lives of 359 people; she was an ordinary girl who did something extraordinary. Presenting her story was not easy. I had to work harder for this one.
You even went to Neerja’s house and met her mother to prepare for the role...
When I first visited their Chandigarh home, I went to the first floor where Rama aunty (Neerja’s mother) stays. I could see Neerja’s photographs everywhere… I opened a door and Rama aunty came out and she said, ‘Yeh toh meri Laado hain’. She used to call Neerja Laado. That was, for me, a very important and emotional moment because it was Neerja’s mother saying that I could play her.
Was it tough to shoot the hijacking?
It is tough to shoot every film because every situation is different. But yes, this was physically taxing, because you are working 16 hours a day and you are tired. It’s not a Khoobsurat, which is funny. It’s intense and dramatic.
You said you were looking for a script which was different. What drew you to this film? Was it that you wanted to do a woman-centric film?
No, I have been doing woman-centric films since 2008, so it’s not that. I had taken a year-and-a-half-long break before signing Raanjhanaa, saying I’ll only do films that inspire me. After that, I did Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Khoobsurat and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. I want to do films that will help me to improve my craft. A lot of filmmakers approached me with good scripts and roles, but I am not in this industry to become a star. If it happens, great. But I am here to be a better actor.
Then, why did you do Prem Ratan Dhan Payo?
Because it was a different experience and I need to experience everything. I cannot stick to a comfort zone. So, if I do a Raanjhanaa, I have to do a Khoobsurat, a Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and then a Neerja. These four films, their directors, roles... nothing is similar. I want to do things that push me creatively.
Where did Prem Ratan... take you as an actress?
As a performer, you have to have conviction in everything that you do. Theatre director Feroz Abbas Khan once told me, “When Amitabh Bachchan or Anil Kapoor delivers a line -- ludicrous or sensible -- they deliver both with the same amount of conviction”. As an actress, my effort is also that.
Were you relieved that you didn’t let a Salman Khan film down?
That doesn’t matter, because I knew I had given 100 per cent to my role. The result is not in my hands -- it is up to fate and destiny. What people think does not matter to me.
Have you made a conscious decision to do only stronger roles? No dancing around trees...
Even if I am doing a Salman Khan film, if he is shooting for 300 days, I would want to shoot for 270 days. That is the way I want to work. I have never done dancing-around-trees kind of roles. I don’t think I will either. And I don’t do three-four films a year; I do one or two films.
Ever since you came into the industry, you’ve been labelled a fashionista. Do you get bogged down by the tag?
Not at all. I’d rather have people talking about my fashion than my personal life and controversies.
Image Source: Fox Studios
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