‘Having Adi in life is a blessing’

You’re going to make a comeback of sorts with Hichki. Are you feeling any pressure to perform?

Pressure is very good, as it makes you work [hard] and doesn’t keep you constrained. When you look at Hollywood, actresses are leading their personal lives in parallel with their professional lives. But in India, actresses postpone weddings and are even asked to delay plans for getting married or have kids. Today, fans have begun talking about subjects like these and are expressing their love. In a way, that tells an actor that times are changing, and we need to give our fans what they want to see. I don’t think personal stuff matters in an actor’s life and it shouldn’t be given much importance. We have to work hard for our fan base and be able to live up to their love and adulation.

At the same time, movies are all about magic. Do you agree?

All my life, I have believed that when a film has to work, it works. There is a certain time and energy about films. You need to work hard work for every film, because it’s not as if there’s no hard work involved in films that don’t do well. Kuch

films ki kundli aisi hoti hai ki jab who aati hain, sab kuch work kar jaata hai. Ultimately, the people decide the fate of a film. After all, why do we call them, ‘janta janardan’? People give a lot of respect to films that work at the box office. It’s important that more people come in to watch your film.

Were you worried about this film, considering its sensitive nature?

Yes I was! I didn’t know if I’d be able to pull off this role. I just hoped to do justice to the character. When you are playing a differently-abled character, you have to be very sure about how you are portraying their life on the screen. It has to be a very sensitive portrayal. Somehow, I feel connected to them, because such characters come to me. So, I feel it is my duty to portray them correctly whenever I get an opportunity. The script has to be uplifting and inspirational, too.

You played a differentlyabled character in Black as well. Do such parts need you to connect with the character in a completely different manner?

Yes, but I guess I’ve been lucky to work with actors like Kamal Haasan, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, as I learnt a lot from them. Whenever I have approached my character, I try to do it so my audience does not see me, and see my character instead. I have to make her very make-believe, as she has to look very real. Uske liye mujhe kya kya karna padega, main woh tarkeeb nikaal kar aati hu. If you don’t innovate as an actor, you will lose your audience. I have to offer them something different every time so that they can be proud of me.

Former actor American Meghan Markle is set to marry British royal Price Harry in May