Sure footed into Bollywood
Arbaaz Khan’s rumoured girlfriend Giorgia Andriani opens up about movies, fitness and India in a candid chat
Model, dancer and actress Giorgia Andriani has slowly been finding her feet in the maze called Bollywood. Giorgia’s debut film, Sridevi Bungalow is still stuck in its production making one wonder if it would even see the light of day, but she says she is confident, pointing out that she’s been doing several projects in Bollywood and Tollywood.
“You have got to work hard and believe in yourself. Things are bound to happen, so I am just going to work hard and keep focusing on acting and dancing,” she states matter-of-factly.
Before coming to India, this Italian native had studied filmmaking in London, graduating in filmmaking and broadcasting. Though it was not what she had planned initially, Giorgia decided to join Bollywood. “I had no connections with India before moving to London and studying there. But there, I made some Indian friends and after a while in London, I began getting fascinated by the Indian culture and I decided to follow the country’s art and culture. Soon, I began feeling a strong connection with Bollywood. At some point, working in Indian films became my dream,” she adds.
Giorgia also worked as a casting agent in a film produced in India, she tells us. “I was mostly into modelling. But there’s a lot for me to do and I keep myself busy in the workshop trying my hand in acting/dancing and honing my skills,” she points out.
To prep for her time in the Indian film industry, Giorgia has been taking Urdu and Hindi lessons. “In the beginning I used to learn Urdu and Devanagari from two different teachers and also by listening to people who were around me most of the times,” she says. “Whenever certain words popped up in my mind, I’d instantly find their meaning, which enriched my Hindi/Urdu vocabulary. Now, I can read and write Hindi although not as thoroughly I’d like to, but I am sure practice will make me perfect.”
HER CONNECTION WITH THE KHANS
When prodded about her relationship, she tells us she knew Arbaaz Khan through common friends. “However, I do not wish to talk much about it,” she says.
However, Giorgia is pretty close to Salma Khan, Salman’s mom, and tells us that while everyone in their house mostly speaks in English she sometimes talks in Hindi to all of them. “They are very nice people who love to feed their guests,” she elaborates, adding that while she doesn’t have chicken and meat she eats fish. “But Salma makes vegetable biryani for me and I enjoy the food she makes.
Adding more, Giorgia tells us that Arbaaz Khan, who is a fitness freak, advises her on her diet. “I also share diet tips with him. And we’ve both gained a lot about our likes and dislikes in food etc. But
I see him as a master of fitness and he advises me on the right proportion of calcium, carbs and protein I need in my food.”
As we end our conversation, we ask her how it has been for her interacting with Indians since she arrived in the country. “Oh, Indians are very hardworking people, and it is very easy to m a k e friends in India ,” she states. Th en , elaborating with an example she adds, “When I first came to Mumbai, I lived alone and my neighbour who occupied the flat in front of mine, welcomed me with a cake. This is something very rarely found among people in other countries. So, yes, I like it here. I feel like I am in India,” she says as she signs out.