LOVE THE VERY AIR OF DELHI
Popular for her Tamil films, actor Salony Luthra enjoys theatre, too, and has staged a play here
Delhi ki to hawa hi alag hai (Delhi’s vibe is totally different),” says Salony Luthra, film and theatre actor. Known for her roles in Tamil films, she was recently in the city to act in the Hindi adaptation of the play Blackbird, by Scottish playwright David Harrower. The performance was part of the ongoing Bharat Rang Mahotsav at the National School of Drama. Though born and raised in Shimla, Salony spends a lot of her time in Delhi. She says, “I keep on visiting as my parents live here. I am connected to this place; yahaan sab kuch bahut achha hai. There is an openness here that’s hard to find in Mumbai. You can sit anywhere, eat anywhere. Every time I roam around the city, I fall in love with it.”
The actor, popular for her roles in Tamil movies such as Sarabham and Oliyum Oliyum, is also a big-time foodie. “I am very chatori. Right from rajma chawal to chole kulche to the street food of Lajpat Nagar and Mandi House, I have tried everything. I miss the street food of Delhi when I am away,” laughs the 26-year-old.
Salony started her film journey through theatre. She found it difficult to share her dream of being an actor with her family. “Most of [my relatives] are lawyers and none of them has ever acted. So, to confess was a hard task for me. But [I did it] thanks to NK Sharma, who trained me and took me to the south.”
The actor believes in learning and “theatre is the best place to hone your acting skills”. About Blackbird, Salony says, “It’s a two-actor play — quite tough to get into the skin of the character. Directed by Himanshu Kohli and Prashant Kumar, it was staged by me and theatre stalwart Swanand Kirkire. To give my best, I recollect experiences from my life.”
The actor also had a tough life and has tried to include those experiences. “I’ve gone through many heartbreaks; it was difficult for me to relive them.” But she did so, for art.