‘This phase of my career is a bonus for me’

Her last project, Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, was direct-to-digital; and now actor Zareen Khan is looking forward to doing more projects on the web, but that can only happen if people give her the right opportunities. “I hope people give me a chance to at least tap my potential, and not judge me on the basis of the work that I have done. With the web coming in, I am waiting to get the right kind of role that I can do justice to. I am happy about the web space and looking to dive into it with something substantial, and not something that is about me looking pretty and doing nothing,” she tells us.

Many strong roles for women are being written on the web, but Khan says that such opportunities still elude her. The Veer (2010) actor elaborates, “People who are making these things don’t have faith in me, that I will be able to pull this off and carry a good role on my shoulders. They have only seen me look like a diva and not really doing much.”

The 34-year-old further adds that the roles coming her way are not what she desires. “Whatever web offers that I have got so far have been in the space where I have to just look pretty. I don’t want to do that. I am much more than my face and body, and I want people to see that,” she ends.

Sunny Hinduja has been around in the film industry for over 15 years, but it is only recently that he has gained prominence, thanks to his outings such as Aspirants, The Family Man and season 2 of Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare.

So, does he now feel the need to maintain the momentum? “I don’t. Khali haath aaye the, khali hath jayenge. I have been in this industry for 15 years. I have seen the lowest of lows. I have seen that and dealt with it. Ab toh jo bhi ho raha hai, that is a bonus for me. I feel very grateful, each day of my life, whenever I am on shoot and on set.”

He adds, “I don’t chase success, I chase my talent . I want to back myself with the work I do. Rest will fall into place.” Now, Hinduja is getting into the mainstream space with the Kartik Aaryan-starrer Shehzada. Talking about the criteria for him to say yes to a film project, the actor says, “First, it is the people who are associated with the project and then the second is the script. Eventually, I see the role, and if I bring some value to the project.” Currently shooting for the film in Mauritius, he shares, “The shoot has been excellent. We have an excellent director (Rohit Dhawan) and it’s been great working with Kartik. We just have a bit more schedule left.”