Film Industry: Amrita Rao was named after her grandfather Amrit Rao, who had fought for our freedom with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

MEDIA EXPECTS US TO BE DOWN TO EARTH BUT NOT REPEAT OUR SHOES

Amrita Rao was named after her grandfather Amrit Rao, who had fought for our freedom with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. She believes that her first relationship will be her last, but, so far, marriage is not on the cards. She is most attached to her mother, who has always been with her and she values the fact that her mother never put any pressure on her, and, in fact, gave her whatever she wanted without her asking for it. While she had walked from Mahim to Juhu during the Anna movement, under police protection, to share her generation’s collective disappointment with the system, she feels sad that in spite of our forefathers having fought for our freedom without the help of the police, we are back to square one. Ahead of her upcoming release Satyagraha, she talks about her pride in being self-made, pressures of being an actress and how she did not date Shahid Kapoor. Excerpts:

How did you get into films? While we are originally from Mangalore, my grandfather had migrated to Burma from where he returned to join the Indian National Army and settled in Mumbai, where I was born and brought up. I was still in school when I heard about this audition for this fairness cream ad. I got selected and subsequently, did a lot of ads and I got noticed by Ramesh Taurani and Ken Ghosh and Ishq Vishk happened. Since my childhood, I was that girl who would walk into a movie hall starry-eyed having this hunch that I will be there and can do this though I did not have the guts to share my feeling with my parents. I truly believe in destiny. Once, this chocolate brand actually waited for my exams to get over to shoot with me. I joined college, but finally, had to drop out as by that time I had a lot of work and could not continue doing both. Initially, I was thrown out of track mentally and I would imagine myself sitting and writing exams and could not fathom that I had to discontinue studying. I had trained in Hindustani classical singing and my mother thought I could become a playback singer, but I always wanted to become an actor. Children who are inclined to the arts where the income is not guaranteed, need more support from their parents. Sometimes, parents lose patience due to pressures of the outside world. I got that support and got success easily and could prove to my parents that there was a demand for me. But, perhaps, if I tried and failed, I would have had to step back. From the age of 15, I haven’t taken a single rupee from my dad, even though he could afford the best of luxuries for me and I pride myself on that.

Do you feel stressed due to competitive pressure? It’s not just that your films have to work. You also have to look good. There is an added stress related to what you are wearing. While on the one hand, the media expects us to be down-to-earth, on the other hand, they do not want us to repeat our shoes. So actors work with designers whose stuff they wear and promote. While there is an influx of new faces and it is easier today to get a debut, to sustain your career is a real challenge. From the beginning, I always had people approaching me and I find that to be the more respectable way. For me, it’s extremely difficult to call people to ask something for myself. While it would be great to have a godfather, it’s a great feeling to be self-made.

Which directors did you enjoy working with the most? Sooraj Barjatya and Farah Khan. Soorajji is extremely gentle and sensitive and a nice human being. There is something spiritual about him. He gives the same importance to all actors on the set. He will explain the role to a receptionist in the film with the same sincerity as he will do to the main cast. For the Barjatyas, they like to work with people who are nice, would match their sensibilities and are adjusting. Farah is my Jhansi ki rani. She is the woman who calls the shots in a man’s world. She is a wonder woman and will see all the detailing herself. She is extremely loving and encouraging. Her USP is that if you are a Farah Khan actor, she will make you feel the best in the world. She will keep pepping you up with superlatives to bring out the best in you. If you are her friend, she will always support you, be it a good phase or a bad one and I admire that about her.

Your favourite co-stars? Shahid Kapoor, Mr Shah Rukh Khan and Mr Amitabh Bachchan.

It was earlier speculated that Shahid and Kareena broke up because of you. Did you ever date Shahid? No. Shahid and I almost started our careers together. We shared a great working energy. And much as people would like to believe, I would qualify him more a co-star than a friend. He has a good sense of humour, is moody who can sometimes be quiet on the set and sometimes rag me. He has always helped me as an actor. It was speculated that Kareena and Shahid broke up because of me, but I always maintained silence because I knew that time had its own way of revealing the truth and it has, today. And why should I be uncomfortable facing Kareena? We shared a cordial relationship while shooting for Satyagraha.

How was your experience working with Mr Bachchan in Satyagraha? I really enjoyed working with him. He is so simple and does not leave the set once he comes. I have not seen any actor do that. He will be reading his lines, or listening to music on his phone or tweeting, but will not leave. And he is like that always. There was no umbrella for him as he refused to take one even though it was so hot. I have sometimes seen him not even having water or food on the set. There were days where it was so hot that you would want to collapse post the shoot. But when you woke up next morning, you would find that Mr Bachchan had blogged and gone to the gym and you wonder whether he is Superman. He proves to you why he is a legend.

What about Shah Rukh? Shah Rukh Khan, again, is one of the most perfect actors a director can have on the set. No nakhra, no tantrum and long hours don’t bother him. Both he and Mr Bachchan still have the dedication and passion that a newcomer has on the set.

Any unfulfilled dreams? I am destiny’s child and have not planned my life. In 2010, there were three films I had signed but they could not take off due to financial constraints. I didn’t plan that either. Likewise, I didn’t plan three back-toback releases this year (Jolly LLB, Satyagraha and Singh Saheb The Great). It’s natural to have highs and lows. In your low phase, it’s important to get good advice from your family, so that you don’t land up making the wrong choices out of impulse. We are always under this pressure of being someone else, even though we are different from each other. If I am an orange, but it is the season of the mango, you have to wait for your season to come. You can’t change your core values to become someone else. My father would always joke with me and say, ‘You are Madhubala reborn.’ I dream of seeing myself in a black-andwhite film someday.