The Sunday Guardian

Fame has always been a double-edged sword for her

- SUGANDHA RAWAL

Anushka Sh a r - ma i s awkward with f ame, and hasn’t completely embraced her stardom. The actress-producer says she still lives in denial, and yearns to lead a normal life. From taking risks early on in her career to getting into the filmmaking business as a producer, Anushka has come a long way since her modelling days. She is one of Indian film industry›s highest paid actresses, and also got featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia 2018 list. But how has her f ame s haped up h e r l i f e? “I have never answered this question. Not even thought about it. I have always been very awkward with fame. I am not an actor who has embraced fame completely,” told Anushka. “There are actors who embrace fame... Like Salman Khan is a star, and he embraces his fame. Like Varun Dhawan when he is out there, he embraces his stardom. If he will go out to the crowd, he will be comfortabl­e. If I will go to a crowd, I will be uncomforta­ble,” added the actress, who is confident about her forthcomin­g film “

a Yash Raj Films production.

Anushka asserts that she is not “someone who embraces her stardom”.

“I still stay in denial about it, and reluctant as well.”

For her, normalcy is very important.

“I want to do normal things. I want to go to a grocery store and all. I want to be able to do simple things and normal things.”

At this point of the conversati­on, Anushka, who is married to ace cricketer Virat Kohli, was quick to point out that fame is a “double-edged sword”.

“I get real satisfacti­on when my films are watched. I want more people to go and watch it. It is a double-edged sword like that. When people support me, like I have seen how in my worst times they (my fans) have stood by me... I want to give them my everything.”

She had a dream debut in Bollywood opposite super- star Shah Rukh Khan in

but her ride in showbiz has been bumpy with several highs and lows.

may have given her a good launch- pad, but her sail into showbiz was not smooth. She faced failure with films like and

But on the other hand, she earned applause for films like

and As a producer, Anushka has made films like

and under her banner Clean Slate Films. She starred in all three films herself.

Her career report card shows that Anushka is always in for experiment­ing. But the thought of failing always lingers around.

“When I do films which are a bit edgy and a little bit like off centre, I do get thoughts like ‘Will people understand it’. Like For an A-list actor to do a gory like film like that, it was a little scary. Even (you do think if) it will be acceptable.”

But that doesn›t stop her from trusting her conviction.

“I think somewhere you go with the conviction which you had in your mind when you heard it for the first time and that is when you keep pushing it through.”

On the big screen, Anushka will next be seen as Mamta in Made in India, which features Varun Dhawan as her life and business partner Mauji. Helmed by Sharat Katariya, the film will open on September 28.

“It is a very commercial film and I think it is a right kind of commerce—you have a proper concept backed by content said in a way which is completely commercial.” IANS

“Being famous is wicked. But it’s better to be normal.” “All my life I’ve been looking for diversity.” “I get real satisfacti­on when my films are watched. It is a doubleedge­d sword like that. When people support me, like I have seen how in my worst times they have stood by me.”

 ??  ?? Anushka Sharma.
Anushka Sharma.
 ??  ?? Movie still from Sui Dhaaga.
Movie still from Sui Dhaaga.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India