KATRINA KAIF: NOT LOOKING FOR GLAMOROUS ROLES ANYMORE

Completing 15 years in the industry, Katrina Kaif says her appetite for taking risks has just increased

It is easy to notice the shift in Katrina Kaif. She doesn’t want to play second fiddle in a hero- oriented script, nor does she want a song- and- dance routine. Having silenced her detractors last year with her uninhibited act as an alcoholic fading superstar in Zero ( 2018), Kaif says she is ready to take on roles that will tap into her acting potential.

“As actors, we evolve and keep learning new things. [ We need to channel this] experience in our work,” says the actor, who has completed over 15 years in the industry. “I am in a position where I want to take risks and want to be part of things that are layered. At this point in my career, I am not looking for something glamorous or a song- and- dance routine. I have already done those things. What appeals to me today is finding the characters and the complexities that my character goes through. And that’s because of who I am today.”

Point out how her next, Bharat, is as mainstream as they come, and she reasons, “Bharat is a larger- than- life film, but for me, that is incidental. When I was part of Sheila Ki Jawaani or a film like Dhoom 3 [ 2013], it was because those things appealed to me then. [ But now] I want to find roles that I haven’t attempted before.”

Even as she sifts through multiple scripts that come her way, Kaif has only greenlit Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi after Bharat. Reuniting with one of her first co- stars has been a cherished experience. “Initially, I was a little hesitant, but things went smoothly from the first shot. Akshay has been so supportive throughout my career.”