LIKE ALL GIRLS, I TOO HAD A CRUSH ON SALMAN KHAN: SONNALLI SEYGALL
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Sonnalli Seygall won the
Miss India International title in 2006. She debuted in Luv Ranjan's
popular 2011 romantic comedy Pyaar Ka Punchnama and will once again be
seen in its sequel Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 that releases on the coming
Friday .She's ambitious, hardworking, polite and spiritual but loves to
party as much as she likes to work.She prides herself on being a good
human being and loves animals. Over a cup of coffee, she talks to Bombay
Times about her childhood dream of being a Miss India, the sensitivity
of Salman Khan and why she misses the presence of a strong male member
in her life.Excerpts:
Salman Khan recently tweeted for your film Pyaar Ka Punchnama
2.Talk about your friendship with him.
I first met him in 2013 when I did a Thums Up commercial with him. I was so excited when I came to know that I was going to do a commercial with him. I was the second runner-up in the Miss India pageant in 2006 and was chosen to represent India at the Miss International pageant.Post Miss India, the three winners were trained in yoga by Salman's sister Alvira and we would thus go to her house for training. I went for my pageant and lost touch with her till that day when she walked in for the Thums Up shoot along with Salman's entourage. She is very sweet. She immediately recognised me and introduced me to Salman and I got invited to sit with him outside his van in between shoots. I had heard stories of him having a feast in between his shoots and I actually saw it that day . He made me feast on thandai and muffins. A few months later, I met him at the Bombay Times party where we actually exchanged numbers.From then on, I kept in touch with Salman over SMS and phone and he invited me for his birthday parties and Ganpati visarjan. I have always taken his advice and I told him about Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, which is when he saw the trailer and tweeted about it. Every girl in India has grown up watching his films, having a crush on him.
I too had a crush on him. But while he may come late on set, when he comes, he finishes his work in no time. I was very impressed with the amount and way he works.He has been very helpful personally and even at the cost of repeating, I would say that he is a very good human being. I connect with people like that. He is a mentor.Working hard is something he always keeps telling me.Anyways, while there are people who get lucky , for me, it's always only through hard work that I get anything. A lot of people in the industry give you very faltu advice like manage your PR properly, but Salman is one person who will only advise you to do hard work. I got into fitness because of him. I got trained during the Miss India pageant but then left it as I thought that girls really don't need to work out. But two years back Salman told me, `Girls too need to work out.' And he would take the trouble of SMSing me to guide me on which body parts and how I should work out. And I have been very regular. While shooting Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, if we had to start shooting at 6am, I would anyways have to get up at 4am to do my hair and makeup, but I would make it a point to get up at 2am so that I could finish my workout before I started shooting every single day .
What qualities of Salman do you like the most?
I don't know the details but he always says that his jour ney has not been easy . He has also struggled a lot and worked really hard. He is very good and helps every one and actually sees the pain in people without the person actually saying it. He is very observing and empa thetic about others. For instance, a year ago when I was staying in Bandra, in a casual conversation I told him how my mother had moved in with me and how she was working in Breach Candy in town. Cut to a month back, I told him how I had shifted to Andheri. One of his friends sitting there said, `Good na. Andheri will be good for you and your work.' But Salman immedi ately said, ` Aur ma ka koi matlab nahi hai. It will be more far for her as she works in town.' To remember that for a Salman Khan and to feel that for someone else's mother is a big deal. My friends would not have remembered it. But that's Salman.
Why did you think of Miss India?
Right from the age of seven, I always wanted to be only a Miss India. While growing up, if anyone asked me what I wanted to become, I would say , `Miss India.' One of the most amazing experiences for me was to be addressed as `India' during the month when I participated at the Miss International pageant.After returning to India, I modelled and did a lot of advertising assignments till I got my first Bollywood break with Pyaar Ka Punchnama. That's when I realised that I loved acting.
Who do you love the most in the world?
My mom. She has gone through a lot in her life and is a very strong woman. First, her own father remarried, so she was brought up without a male figure in her life. And then all through my growing up years, my parents were always fighting.After I moved to Mumbai, I couldn't see what my mom was going through. I feel a lot of women in India are taking that. And when they say divorce rate is so less in India, it's not that there are happy marriages. Women are just not able to come out of it. I wanted my mom to move out and live with me.She is now with me in Mumbai and is working and is independent.
Did you feel emotionally divided between your parents?
No, as I was always on my mother's side and am attached only to her. I am not attached to my father given what he has done. I never felt that I have a strong male support of a father. It's nice to see people around me whose fathers or brothers support them.These last few years were tough for me. There were times when I felt helpless that I could not bring my mom here earlier. I came very close to signing films that finally didn't happen. I used to have long hair and chopped it really short for a role that finally didn't happen. I have also had to work really hard but I am like a bull, a taurian who keeps slogging my ass off.
Who do you depend on emotionally?
Myself, my mum and my two dogs Bounty and Candy .One of my dogs I saved from a shelter.
Are you dating someone?
I have not dated anyone in a long time.
Have you lost faith in men?
No. I have seen some really good men around. It's just that they are not mine.
2.Talk about your friendship with him.
I first met him in 2013 when I did a Thums Up commercial with him. I was so excited when I came to know that I was going to do a commercial with him. I was the second runner-up in the Miss India pageant in 2006 and was chosen to represent India at the Miss International pageant.Post Miss India, the three winners were trained in yoga by Salman's sister Alvira and we would thus go to her house for training. I went for my pageant and lost touch with her till that day when she walked in for the Thums Up shoot along with Salman's entourage. She is very sweet. She immediately recognised me and introduced me to Salman and I got invited to sit with him outside his van in between shoots. I had heard stories of him having a feast in between his shoots and I actually saw it that day . He made me feast on thandai and muffins. A few months later, I met him at the Bombay Times party where we actually exchanged numbers.From then on, I kept in touch with Salman over SMS and phone and he invited me for his birthday parties and Ganpati visarjan. I have always taken his advice and I told him about Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, which is when he saw the trailer and tweeted about it. Every girl in India has grown up watching his films, having a crush on him.
I too had a crush on him. But while he may come late on set, when he comes, he finishes his work in no time. I was very impressed with the amount and way he works.He has been very helpful personally and even at the cost of repeating, I would say that he is a very good human being. I connect with people like that. He is a mentor.Working hard is something he always keeps telling me.Anyways, while there are people who get lucky , for me, it's always only through hard work that I get anything. A lot of people in the industry give you very faltu advice like manage your PR properly, but Salman is one person who will only advise you to do hard work. I got into fitness because of him. I got trained during the Miss India pageant but then left it as I thought that girls really don't need to work out. But two years back Salman told me, `Girls too need to work out.' And he would take the trouble of SMSing me to guide me on which body parts and how I should work out. And I have been very regular. While shooting Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, if we had to start shooting at 6am, I would anyways have to get up at 4am to do my hair and makeup, but I would make it a point to get up at 2am so that I could finish my workout before I started shooting every single day .
What qualities of Salman do you like the most?
I don't know the details but he always says that his jour ney has not been easy . He has also struggled a lot and worked really hard. He is very good and helps every one and actually sees the pain in people without the person actually saying it. He is very observing and empa thetic about others. For instance, a year ago when I was staying in Bandra, in a casual conversation I told him how my mother had moved in with me and how she was working in Breach Candy in town. Cut to a month back, I told him how I had shifted to Andheri. One of his friends sitting there said, `Good na. Andheri will be good for you and your work.' But Salman immedi ately said, ` Aur ma ka koi matlab nahi hai. It will be more far for her as she works in town.' To remember that for a Salman Khan and to feel that for someone else's mother is a big deal. My friends would not have remembered it. But that's Salman.
Why did you think of Miss India?
Right from the age of seven, I always wanted to be only a Miss India. While growing up, if anyone asked me what I wanted to become, I would say , `Miss India.' One of the most amazing experiences for me was to be addressed as `India' during the month when I participated at the Miss International pageant.After returning to India, I modelled and did a lot of advertising assignments till I got my first Bollywood break with Pyaar Ka Punchnama. That's when I realised that I loved acting.
Who do you love the most in the world?
My mom. She has gone through a lot in her life and is a very strong woman. First, her own father remarried, so she was brought up without a male figure in her life. And then all through my growing up years, my parents were always fighting.After I moved to Mumbai, I couldn't see what my mom was going through. I feel a lot of women in India are taking that. And when they say divorce rate is so less in India, it's not that there are happy marriages. Women are just not able to come out of it. I wanted my mom to move out and live with me.She is now with me in Mumbai and is working and is independent.
Did you feel emotionally divided between your parents?
No, as I was always on my mother's side and am attached only to her. I am not attached to my father given what he has done. I never felt that I have a strong male support of a father. It's nice to see people around me whose fathers or brothers support them.These last few years were tough for me. There were times when I felt helpless that I could not bring my mom here earlier. I came very close to signing films that finally didn't happen. I used to have long hair and chopped it really short for a role that finally didn't happen. I have also had to work really hard but I am like a bull, a taurian who keeps slogging my ass off.
Who do you depend on emotionally?
Myself, my mum and my two dogs Bounty and Candy .One of my dogs I saved from a shelter.
Are you dating someone?
I have not dated anyone in a long time.
Have you lost faith in men?
No. I have seen some really good men around. It's just that they are not mine.
NAGADA SANG DHOL 
