I don’t run after work, says Ihana

It was in 2018 when Ihana Dhillon marked her entry in Bollywood from Punjabi films with the erotic thriller, Hate Story 4. And although she went back to do a Punjabi film, the actor hasn’t had any other Hindi releases since.

Citing the reason for this absence, Ihana shares, “Hate Story 4 was very glamorous. I wanted to do something different, so that people know my capability and that I can fit into any character. I didn’t take up anything after that as similar roles were on offer. I wanted variations in the characters I play, and so I took a break.”

Does she feel that directors in Bollywood tend to typecast female actors? “I can’t comment on that. All I can say is when makers are casting and they see the previous characters that you played, they see what suits you best,” Ihana says.

The actor, however, is returning to Bollywood this year. On how difficult it was to find the role of her choice, the 30-year-old says, “I haven’t faced many problems because I am very passionate about acting. I don’t run after work. I take my own time and only do the roles that I feel satisfied with. I read my scripts thoroughly. As a performer, I am looking forward to all kinds of characters. Times have changed and that is very good for actors. Like Taapsee (Pannu) and Bhumi (Pednekar) in Saand Ki Aankh (2019), you can play a character of a different age group, too.”

Ihana’s second Bollywood film — Bhuj: The Pride of India — also stars Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha and Ammy Virk. In the real-life inspired war drama, the actor plays an army officer’s wife.

“The script is great and it’s coming out really good. 70% of the shooting is complete. I feel really happy and amazing to be part of the movie. It has an amazing cast and they were really very supportive. I am opposite Ammy Virk, and since both of us are from Punjab, we bonded really well,” she shares.