GIRLS WOULD GUSH, IT MADE ME BLUSH
Kiara Advani says she was overwhelmed to see DU girls bunk classes to meet her
It’s quite common for male actors to receive attention from gushing female fans, but when actor Kiara Advani garnered such a response from young college girls in Delhi, she couldn’t help but blush. The actor was recently in Delhi, along with actor Shahid Kapoor, to shoot for the upcoming film Kabir Singh — a remake of the Telugu film Arjun Reddy (2017). She talks about indulging the students just so they won’t bunk their classes and other things she did in the Capital. Excerpts:
What is your oldest memory of Delhi?
The first time I visited Delhi was when I came for a school trip to see the Rashtrapati Bhavan, before going to Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. My most fond memory, however, was when I came here to shoot for my first film, Fugly (2014). Every time I think of Delhi, I remember that experience; so it holds a special place in my heart.
How was your experience of shooting inside the colleges in Delhi, that too in winter? Delhi is absolutely beautiful during the winter, although it was heartbreaking to deal with the pollution level. We shot at several locations including some of the most popular ones such as Hauz Khas and college campuses. The fans were adorable youngsters who gave us our space while we shot, patiently waited to allow us to complete filming before we could take selfies with them. Although we requested them to not bunk classes to watch us shoot, but beyond a point it wasn’t in our control. We couldn’t control everyone’s cellphone cameras and so a lot of footage and pictures were being leaked, but we managed to control the situation as much as possible.
While shooting in Delhi University colleges — Miranda House, Kirori Mal College, and Lady Irwin College — did you interact with the youngsters?
The girls’ colleges (Miranda House and Lady Irwin) were the most entertaining. Every time I stepped out of my vanity van, the girls would start oohing and chanting which made me blush. It was cute. Some of them had bunked classes. Eventually, I told my team to bring a few of them, who had been waiting for long, inside my vanity so they could meet me, take a picture, and not bunk more classes.
Did you get a chance to explore Delhi during your shoot schedule? There was no day off to explore. The only place we spent any time other than the set was the gym, to make sure all the food that we were consuming was not showing on screen. The food in Delhi is amazing, specially the chaat and halwas. However, as this was a work trip, I couldn’t indulge as much as I’d have liked to. I also want to visit the Qutab Minar as I’ve only seen it from a distance.