For Welsh model, businesswoman and actor Samira Mohamed Ali who was in the city recently to promote her multilingual feature film B Positive , nothing compares to the positive attitude of the people of Bengaluru. “The city and its people are fascinating. Everyone is so intelligent and speak so many languages. I wish I could speak so many.”
B Positive is directed by Bengaluru-based debutant filmmaker Venkatesh Kumar, who weaves a story of international standards in the film that will feature Kannada, Hindi and English languages with a message that any audience across the world will love. The movie also features Raj K. Purohit as the male protagonist and Nibedita Biswal and is slated to be released soon.
Excited to be in Bengaluru, Samira says she feels India is like a second home to her now because she’s been here so often. “I am very connected with India. I love the food, the climate and the people. My experiences here have been great and Bangalore is my favourite city.”
The actress who was born in Dubai and is currently based in the UK has Welsh and Portugal family ties. She has won several awards and started off her illustrious career as a model, before moving into the banking sector, doing television presentations and now settling in the feature film industry with a series of films lined up for release.
On her journey so far, Samira says she’s really grateful for the opportunities. “They taught me something different every time from doing business to interacting with people. It gives me a different perspective as an actor since I can relate to the pressures of the producer and director and not be difficult in any situation. I come from a very good business background and films are all about business so I fit in well.”
Was the transition difficult? The actor says it happened very naturally. “On paper it looks like ‘Wow, she’s done all this!’ but it was a very organic process. I didn’t plan anything. Surprisingly, I remember my grandmother in Dubai told my mum when I was born that I would become an actress. I was always very shy as a person but if you put a camera in front of me, I become very open and expressive back when I was a child itself. I’ve not taken any drama or acting lessons though. I’ve just worked with good people who have supported me,” she affirms.
On her role in B Positive , Samira says the role is very interesting and the script is incredible. “I see the script to be very international and it can work across the globe. I play Nina who is a waitress and falls in love with a guy from India. What sets this story apart is the heaps of twists and turns in the film. There’s a lot you will see throughout the film that is unexpected. This role, the acting and the delivery are all completely different from my previous films.”
On what’s left on her bucket list, she believes she’s on a good path. “I feel very connected with India and there are a lot of big banner Bollywood films to do. But I haven’t made a decision yet. I also own my own production company in the UK and I see myself growing as an actress in India and as a producer internationally. I’d love to produce more films and connect India with the UK to give a more realistic version of India and how lovely everything is.” She adds that she’s never directed before. “It’s very interesting and I’d love to do it since it’s the only thing I haven’t done in this industry.”
Sharing his thoughts on the film, actor Raj says it’s a fantastic script. “There’s a twist in the plot every 15 minutes. Coming from a theatre background, it’s great to learn from my fellow actors to handle this role. I’ve especially learnt a lot from Samira. It’s great to be part of a multilingual film like this and it’s an achievement for me. I’ve learnt to remain rooted in my art.” He adds that he had never expected to make it this far. “It’s a struggle since it’s not easy to make a name in the industry. It’s a dream come true. I can encourage everyone to keep dreaming and never give up on them.”
