Sara Ali Khan Exclusive Interview: ‘Atrangi Re’, Loud Image, ‘Coolie No.1’, Self-Changes, ‘Love Aajkal’ & More – Times of India

ETimes caught up with Sara Ali Khan who awaits the release of ‘Atrangi Re’. The young lady was in a self-introspective mode and we went talking to her on a lot of queries which you and I have been waiting to ask. Sara took all the questions at her chin and answered without batting an eyelid. See the video below:

Excerpts from the conversation:

What gravitated you towards ‘Atrangi Re’? The presence of Akshay Kumar? The fact that it was being directed by Aanand L Rai? Or, was it the script?

Didn’t take more than knowing that Aanandji wanted to make a film with me. But when I heard the script, I was blown away. Aanandji has a knack of making simple stories but making them complex. I am privileged to be a part of ‘Atrangi Re’.

I heard that you underwent quite a bit of weight loss before dancing in a saree in the song ‘Chakachak’…

Yes, I did. And, I lost all the kilos I wanted to. I tend to eat more. I don’t believe in crash dieting; it affects your hair, it affects your mood, it’s not healthy. So I was just cautious that I didn’t overeat.

Have you ever danced in a saree, say at home at least?

Not at home, but I have. Long ago, at my mom’s best friend’s niece’s wedding. But it wasn’t like this as I have done in ‘Chakachak’! Not with this crazy energy!

‘Atrangi Re’ has aroused curiosity; people want to know who finally pairs up with you- Akshay or Dhanush. Have you ever been confused in real life over two guys, say in school or college?

Not at all. I may think a lot about something but the decision I take is firm enough. I try to be clear in all aspects of life, not just in food.

Hearing that you were very disappointed when ‘Love Aajkal’ didn’t do well. What went wrong with that film?

I don’t know what went wrong. If the audiences didn’t like it, there was a problem. But I loved working with Imtiaz Ali sir, we both worked very honestly. Hmmm… maybe people didn’t relate to my character, maybe they didn’t feel for her.

I had fun. It’s time to unlearn. Maybe people found my pitch too loud. Now going forward I don’t want to give any shot wherein I am not 100 per cent convinced about it.

But your character in ‘Atrangi Re’ too seems to be loud…

I don’t agree. ‘Being loud’ is very subjective. It should just be that any emotion or expression should be justified. That you’ll see in ‘Atrangi Re’. If I am loud anywhere, it’s for a reason. It is the director’s duty to control me; that’s what Aanandji did, he asked me to play on the front foot.

So, you are changing your approach towards acting…

Just a few things.

What went wrong with ‘Coolie No.1’?

With a film like ‘Coolie No.1’, the audience was very different. It was quite a shift for me in terms of the audience I thought the film was being made for.

You are holding things back. Have you learnt to be very mindful while talking?

I am becoming conscious of my image now. It’s important to be appropriate in an appropriate scenario. A lot of times I have said something as a joke but it has backfired and got misconstrued. This is the same girl who has got degrees from Belgium. If I am going to be asked questions beyond myself, I am going to be cautious of the nuances associated with it. I am a little wary now, but I am not going to be dishonest. It is not that I’m being dishonest if I am on respectful.

Did your loud image on screen spill onto your real life to create a wrong perception about you?

Somewhere down the line there was a loss of vulnerability and relatability, which Aanandji and I have worked on.

Are you disappointed that ‘Atrangi Re’ is releasing directly on OTT? Asking you because theatres have opened…

Certain things are not in our hands, it’s better to leave them. Of course, I love the theatres and no experience can replicate it.

Do you watch movies on OTT?

Yes, my last two OTT viewings have been ‘Shershaah’ and ‘Mimi‘.

Any film you saw lately and felt you should’ve done it?

‘Mimi’. What Kriti Sanon did in ‘Mimi’, was beautiful (it may be recalled that Chitrangda Singh had also picked the same movie for the same question when we had interviewed her, a few days ago).