‘DON’T WANT TO LIMIT MYSELF TO ONE GENRE’
Disha Patani says she will feel like a true star when her name alone draws crowds to theatres
Disha Patani is basking in the success of Malang, the third film this year to cross the ₹50-crore mark at the box office. And the actor, who is delighted with the appreciation her performance has received, believes the amount a film collects is equally important as the accolades it draws, for the box office is what validates an actor’s bankability. “As an actor, it makes me happy that people are loving Malang. Box office numbers are certainly an important factor to measure success, but I don’t think they’re the ultimate benchmark. The box office success of a movie runs parallel to how much fans love it. In a way, both of them are intertwined. For a confidence boost, it certainly helps knowing that all the hard work put in by everyone has paid off,” she says.
Talking about the feedback from the audience and her contemporaries, Patani shares, “The response has been phenomenal. Everyone – my friends, fans and even people in the film fraternity — told me how Malang was a unique experience and how they are loving it.” The actor adds it was an important film as it helped her “explore an entirely different side” to herself.
Ask if the response makes her confident about her upcoming film, co-starring Salman Khan, she says, “They’re very different genres and experiences. But positive reactions are always good. Seeing the response that Malang has received, it certainly makes me want to push myself harder and keep learning.”
The 27-year-old admits that the opportunity to share screen space with Khan yet again, after Bharat (2019), is a “dream come true” for her. “Working with Salman sir again has been an amazing experience. Prabhu (Prabhudheva) sir’s energy is contagious and there’s so much that I’ve learned from both of them. I’m grateful for the opportunity that was given to me,” the MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) actor says.
Given a chance, Patani would also love to venture into the web space. “I don’t ever want to restrict myself to one genre. Even though there is no specific genre that I want to explore, I would love to try my hand at different types of characters and stories if they suit and interest me,” the actor shares.
But Patani feels she will consider herself a true star the day her name would be enough to draw audiences to the theatre. “It all depends on the mass pull you have,” she adds.
Titas Chowdhury