‘My job is to act and I will go with my director’s vision and have fun’

SAYS ALIA BHATT WHO IS IN A SUPER SPACE NOW. HER POSITION IN BOLLYWOOD IS A GIVEN, NOW, WITH RRR, AND ANOTHER FILM WITH NTR JR, SHE’S THE CURRENT FAVOURITE IN TOLLYWOOD TOO

NOW THAT I HAVE WORKED WITH SANJAY SIR I AM DYING TO DO ANOTHER FILM WITH HIM AND I TOLD HIM THAT! I HOPE I GET TO EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN.

I WANT TO MEET NEW PEOPLE. I

LIKE TO CHALLENGE MYSELF AND

GET OUT OF THE BOX. NOT GETTING OUT

OF YOUR COMFORT

ZONE BECOMES BORING AND

YOUR PERFORMANC

ES SHRINK. I WILL LOVE TO

OPT FOR A (HOLLYWOOD) ROLE IF

IT’S AN INTERESTING OPPORTUNITY

THAT WILL CHALLENGE

ME.

Having bagged the pivotal role of Gangubai in the film Gangubai Kathiawadi — releasing on February 25 — with none other than the ace filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, and her south film RRR which is all set to release on March 25, Alia Bhatt is super excited at her career graph.

Excerpts from an interview

QWhen ‘the’ Sanjay Leela Bhansali offered you the role of Gangubai, what was your reaction? When he offered me this role I was skeptical. I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off well. But he had a vision and I didn’t want to question him. I was nervous, it was like an exam and so I decided to put in more effort.

Now that I have worked with him I am dying to do another film with him and I told him that! I hope I get to experience it again.

Q

Life has come to a full circle — your mother (Soni Razdan) also essayed the role of a brothel girl in Shyam Benegal’s Mandi. What did you pick up from her performance?

Sanjay sir asked me to watch that film when I took up the role for reference in order to pick up the nuances in terms of body language. There’s a scene in Mandi where my mom is standing near the door in a certain way. I will be seen in the same pose in this film where I am staring at Seema Pahwa. So many people have put up my mom’s photograph along with mine in the same pose because I look like her a lot. They’ve also mentioned ‘like mother like daughter’.

Q

I want to do well as it’s a commercial film. I don’t think the audience will be disappointed. I hope for the best.

I do care a lot for the producers who invested money. I think everybody in the industry feels responsible that the

Gangubai is set to release during the pandemic. Worried about BO collections?

producer recovers from his film. Also, I am a producer-director’s daughter so I know how much a producer invests in his film and the hardships they face. You have to be aware of what a commercial subject is and what is not. Gangubai is a commercial subject.

Q

Are you expecting a Award?

National

If I get it, it will be great but I am not aiming for it, as it will restrict me as an actor. For me the audiences appreciation is more important. That is the biggest award for me.

Q

No, Gangubai is a film for the theatres hence we waited for the theatres to open. Certain films are made for big screens. It’s intense and in a gritty world but it has an art and it’s like a painting and the camera movements are visuals — are a treat to watch by itself. Even the songs have long shots. This film has been made on a large scale, lavishly. It has to be a theatrical film.

And sir was keen on theatrical release only. I am doing another film Darlings which is a different film and meant for the OTT platform, the subject is meant for the OTT and it should reach out to the global audiences. Q

I don’t believe that cinema is North, East, West, and South. It’s just the Indian film industry. It’s the power of being together. In RRR we are different actors from Hindi cinema and Telugu cinema coming together and trying to put a big Indian cinema — that’s the way we should look at it. It was great working with the south director.

Do you feel Gangubai should have been released on the OTT platform for the global audiences? South stars are now the flavour. How was it working with them? Q

Do you agree Tollywood is doing way better than Bollywood currently?

Certain filmmakers make a certain tonality of films which are actually films that are connecting with the mass audience. It doesn’t mean that the audiences are not connecting to Hindi films. Also, doesn’t mean that filmmakers who are making small films are not making good films because it appeals to a smaller audience.

The audience has now got another platform, like an OTT.

My job is to act and I will go with my director’s vision and have fun. Yes, I like Telugu cinema and actors are coming together and that’s the biggest spectacle — that’s the way we should look at it.

Q

Would you like to do Hollywood movies?

If I get good roles I will think about it. I want to meet new people. I like to challenge myself and get out of th e box. No t getting out of your comfort zone becomes boring and your performances shrink. I will love to opt for a role if it’s an interesting opportunity that will challenge me. I want to do roles that will bring me out of my comfort zone to create more challenges for myself.