Katrina ‘happy’ with her powerful outing
Kaif says she is kicked that her character in new film “isn’t just a damsel in distress”
Portraying the role of a strong female character isn’t necessarily just about women being the protagonist. KATRINA KAIF, ACTOR
2 017 wasn’t a great year for Bollywood films but the Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif-starrer Tiger Zinda Hai ensured that things ended on a blockbuster note. “I am very happy. It has been an amazing experience and a fantastic outcome for everyone involved in the film,” she says.
The actor admits it’s a “wonderful feeling to end 2017 and ring in the New Year” with such a bang. “It is great to be part of a film, which is doing such an incredible business. It is extremely satisfying for everyone,” she says.
Katrina is also happy about the fact that in a commercial action entertainer, she got as much to do as the ‘hero’. She says, “It’s extremely important, and that’s why it feels nice. Portraying the role of a powerful female character or projecting women in strong light don’t necessarily mean that one has to play the protagonist, or the solo lead.”
In fact, Katrina feels any female actor would have found her character Zoya “really strong”. “The fact that people are talking about my action scenes or role in the film despite Salman’s presence is exciting. It is really nice to see that the female character could be as strong ,” she says.
In the film, unlike an archetypal Hindi film heroine, Katrina plays a wife, a mother and also an intelligence agent, that challenges stereotyped notions. But Katrina admits she “didn’t know where her character’s graph would go.”
She adds: “It’s great as my character is not just a damsel in distress or the romantic interest but is fighting for her country. That’s wonderful because I don’t think anyone expected the character to turn out to be this strong,” she says.
It’s interesting to note that Katrina credits director Ali Abbas Zafar for her character’s depth. “It was brave of Ali (to cast me for such a role) as it was a risk to expect that audiences will accept it. When I had read the script, I had no idea how things would go,” says the Dhoom:3 (2013) actor.