SALMAN HAS AN AMAZING FLAMBOYANCE, AURA: KATRINA

Actor Katrina Kaif, who will join Instagram today, says it would bee “very tough to define” her journeyy in Bollywood. Adds that she findss social media “a lot of fun”

In today’s world, it’s important to have your voice, your individual space and get it out there.

KATRINA KAIF, ACTOR

Ever since her debut with the super hit, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya? in 2005, Katrina Kaif has been at the top of her game. “Even now, I’m running around, juggling two films (Jagga Jasoos and Tiger Zinda Hai) with Jagga soon up for release. I am also trying to work on the launch of my Instagram account,” says Katrina Kaif, who joins the photo-sharing platform today (April 27). In an interview with HT Café, Katrina talks about life, career, Salman Khan, and more.

After Facebook, you are going to be on Instagram too…

Yes, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Honestly, since I was a bit adverse to social media in the beginning, I probably overlooked the whole thing. Because once you build up something so big in your mind, you start building it up even bigger. Sometimes, you just have to jump into the deeper side of the swimming pool. You just have to have fun with it. In today’s world, it’s important to have your voice, your individual space and get it out there. One argument is that actors don’t require it, but you will never be able to prove whether that point is right or wrong.

You have completed 12 years now in the industry. How has the journey been?

It would be very tough to define this journey. There are a 100 times when you feel inspired, that you are doing great work, and feel creatively satisfied. But then you also feel you are doing nothing — you feel frustrated, stuck and trapped, which, I think, everyone feels in every profession. As an actor living the fortunate life, sometimes we forget that this is just a job, since it’s so personal. For me, the line, ‘the show must go on’ rings extremely true. As an entertainer, I think that’s what you do and deliver to the best of your ability. You bring something new, while trying to learn and embrace newer things and not just chase the outcome. Obviously, we would like to be great all the time, but we should concern ourselves with the process and what we are doing and creating at the moment. Then, at the end of it, you will be assured that you have put everything that you could have into it [a film]. We should understand that our job is to enjoy the process and to deliver the best we can, and not to be concerned with the outcome.

You are working with Salman Khan again in Tiger Zinda Hai. How is it?

I have known Salman for so many years now. After shooting with him for a long time, you miss his flamboyance and his fun side. He has a great sense of humour and flamboyance. He has a way of living life, where a great energy buzzes around him. It comes as a force and flood when you come back to the set with him. He has an amazing aura and warmth around him. Also, it’s a wonderful film set to be on, because Ali Abbas (Zafar; director) has been one of my dearest friends. We’ve been super close since New York (2009), before we worked on Mere Brother Ki Dulhan (2011) together. He is an integral part of my support system and my life. I am also really proud of him, because I see a huge growth in him as a director.

Have you started enjoying social media now?

I have realised it is actually quite fun and I probably could have joined it a long time ago. I think I would be enjoying it even more if I had joined it earlier, as I would have been in the full swing of things by now. I probably just took an approach and stuck with it without actually revisiting or analysing it to see if I really wanted to stick with it anymore. I like the idea of having one platform that is your personal connection to your audience. A platform with which you share things that are in your control rather than audience seeing things via other people’s point of view, which mostly happens to be the media.

Your last three films, Baar Baar Dekho (2016), Fitoor (2016) and Phantom (2015) didn’t do very well. Were you disappointed?

More than anything else, it was a huge shock because I was not used to it. It was not something that really happened to me in the last nine to ten years. What happened to Baar Baar Dekho was really unexpected, and more than a few tears tumbled down (smiles). But it’s a journey; it happens to everyone and there are no exceptions. It depends whether you take it to your heart and mind, and, of course, you do and I did too (laughs). Yes, you have to analyse where you could have done better and correct your mistakes as much as you can, but you also have to remember that it happens to everyone without exception. You have to accept that, and have the courage and strength to hold your head up and carry on.

Jagga Jasoos has been delayed a lot. Is it frustrating?

There have been parts of the journey where everyone who is a part of it has wondered how and what is going to come. But there has always been an underlying sense that this is going to come together and become something special. Obviously, the results are not in our hands, and we can’t predict it, but I feel we went through this for a reason. Maybe there was no other way. The kind of film Dada (Anurag Basu; director) has made and the uniqueness that he has attempted in following his inimitable vision it warranted this process, and that’s the best way to put it. I hope people will understand when they watch it.

Talks are rife that you are going to star alongside Shah Rukh Khan in Aanand L Rai’s next film.

I never comment on movies that haven’t been signed and sealed. That’s why I never even comment regarding any of its process. That’s because its work for me and I follow a serious process when it comes to my job, so it’s iron-clad for me. I don’t discuss that [films that are in the process] at all.