Anushka Sharma is very conscious about not being on the paparazzi circuit. Despite her celebrity boyfriend, cricketer Virat Kohli, and some solid roles, she isn’t ‘out there’, preferring to focus on her work. Even as she is plagued with criticism over her body image, she has landed a plum role in Karan Johar’s next film, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil with Ranbir Kapoor and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Gearing up for four back-to-back releases, Anushka speaks about making it in Bollywood on her own terms. Excerpts:
After nearly two years, you are inPKwith Aamir Khan.Some in the industry say Khan’s perfectionism can be exhausting!
Actually, although it looks like I haven’t been around for some time, a lot has been happening in my life, with four back-to-back films being shot. I turned producer during this phase, so I was completely busy. About PK, I am just waiting for its release. It’s obviously a very special film. As an actor, there are some films that you feel proud to be a part of. You know, (pauses), that feeling you get, that it’s more than just entertainment, it’s got something more to say. Rajkumar Hirani is a wonderful director, very straightforward. As for Aamir being a perfectionist, people are referring to his method of working, which is very personal. It doesn’t affect me as a co-actor. He has a method to his acting, I have mine, and we use these to play our characters. Moreover, everyone has a different way of working, and in a team, people adjust to each other.
Raju Hirani is a perfectionist too, he won’t let go till he gets a perfect take. When he okayed some of my scenes with just a couple of takes, I was nervous. I actually called him up and said, ‘Sir, I want you to make me do my absolute best. You can grill me, and make me do take after take’. He laughed. So that anxiety is always there in an actor. I wanted to do brilliantly in this film; your name is attached to a project. It’s for posterity.
Why did you choose to produceNH 10?Also, did you have a role in replacing National Award-winning actor Rajkummar Rao?
NH 10 came to me about two years ago. At that time, I could not take it up, as I was busy with four films. After that, the script did some rounds. Then one day, I was sitting with Anurag (Kashyap) when he said, ‘You know I am very surprised you didn’t do NH 10 .’ The film hadn’t been made yet so I decided to do it. It’s about a working couple from Gurgaon who go on a road trip. During the trip, something messy happens to them. Production was not a conscious plan; it was just an idea at the back of my head. Being in the space I am currently in, I have the ability to mount good projects.
As for replacing Rajkummar, I think people just misunderstood that bit. I would never do that. When the project came to me, I was told Neil Bhoopalam would play the lead. Rajkummar was part of the film when Freida Pinto was to play my part. I will never interfere with a director’s casting, as it affects the film. It’s not my job, and I know what it feels like. Parmeet Sethi didn’t want me in Badmaash Company (2010), and Adi (producer Aditya Chopra) cast me in it. I realise that the equations are never right in such cases. A director can deliver his best only if he chooses his own actors.
Shooting forBombay Velvetmust have beenunique. With delays, the film has faced a lot of speculation.
When I took up the film, it was a great role in an Anurag Kashyap period flick. While filming, it became a lot more. Usually, for a period drama, cosmetic changes such as make-up or polka dots are made. Sometimes, a sepia tone is added. With Bombay Velvet though, the standards of production and professionalism are at a new level of excellence. At times, I would feel overwhelmed on the set. The film inspired me.
You don’tcrave the limelight,but your personal life grabs headlines — whether beinglinked to Ranveer Singh or Virat Kohli? Does this aspect of stardom irritate you?
Because I choose to stay away from it, it doesn’t bother me. I don’t read tabloids. Ultimately, we work in a very competitive industry. Reading something that messes your head and affects your day is just not worth it. It’s not required either; I don’t need to know so much.
But isn’t that the price of stardom?
The media attention will remain. Value judgments are made at times. But I will lead my life the way I choose to lead it. Besides, the media won’t know me forever. I feel that leading my life openly is being myself. I am not hiding anything; I am not trying to play the media. You can literally take me at face value.
So you will continue to watch cricket matches, right?
Yeah, if I want to, I will ( smiles ).
Your body image has always been questioned. First, you were assumed to be anorexic,then your lip job gotmuch attention. How do you deal with it?
It was very irresponsible of the person who wrote the article about me being anorexic. It’s a serious matter. Anorexia is an eating disorder. The article didn’t even try to cross-check or confirm. I have always been very thin, like I am right now. People notice things about you after you become an actor. In Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi , I was 19 and my face had baby fat. I was asked by Adi to put on weight, and billowy salwar kameezes made me look heavier. Now that I have grown up, my face has lost weight too. Throughout my life, I have been trying to gain weight; I used to do weight training to gain weight.
As for my lips, I had done lip fillers and I spoke about it. Some comments were nasty; some were so funny I laughed. I did it for my role in Bombay Velvet . Discussions on social media got a bit crazy, about me altering my nose and my jawline. Do people understand that throughout this phase I have been shooting for films back to back? It takes four to six months of sitting at home to recover from such surgeries! I spoke out because things took an ugly turn. I found it inappropriate. I don’t like being bullied. I am not ashamed of it; I did it as I felt the lip alteration served the purpose of the film. People will still talk, after the film releases. That’s also fine. But I also realise that your true fans judge you for your films, and not for every personal decision. And they matter to me.
