Anushka Sharma, who has soon become a household name , is one such rare
lucky actor to have worked with the two most coveted filmmakers of
Bollywood, father and son duo - Yash Chopra and Aditya Chopra. Embarking
her film career with Aditya Chopra's RAB NE BANA DI JODI and now being a
Yash Chopra's heroine with the film JAB TAK HAI JAAN, Anushka has
reached the top spot. Where actresses crave to be tagged or get
associated with mere Yash Chopra's name, Anushka is enjoying to be
called as Yash Chopra heroine. In a span of four years the lady has
created a distinct mark for herself in Bollywood. In conversation with
Anushka Sharma, who is gearing up for her upcoming film JAB TAK HAI
JAAN, which releases on November 13, 2012
How has been the feedback so far for your upcoming film JAB TAK HAI JAAN?
The feedback was very nice. When the trailer of JAB TAK HAI JAAN came
out people felt, after a long time they are getting to see something
refreshing and interesting. After a long time they are watching a pure
rom-com. As from quite some while we didn't see love stories happening.
And, anyways it's a Yash Chopra film so there are humungous expectations
and love for his films. Everybody whether its industry or even aam
junta they have nice things to say about the film...The pre-release buzz
is good. A lot of people have been complimenting me on my song 'Jiya
Re'...I think its stunning and shot beautifully.
Tell us about your experience and interaction with late filmmaker Yash Chopra
I was launched by the banner so I have met him many a times. But
initially when I used to meet him there was a little bit of distance and
awe factor because all these years I just saw his movies and his work
and suddenly when you get the opportunity to work with whom you have
held respect for years it's a different feeling. Moreover I am a kind of
person who just can't go to Shahrukh or Mr Bachchan and casually say
like 'Hey there' as there's lot of respect. Similarly for Yashji! But
during JTHJ I realized that I don't need to be that way because he is
just so relaxed, warm, funny and simple. He had the best and fantastic
sense of humor and would have everyone in splits. He had poker faced
sense of humor. He would be genuinely concerned about his actors and the
entire crew. Often what happens is when a person is donning two hats of
a producer and director the sense of playing the dual roles
automatically comes up. But when Yashji was directing he was only a
director. I mean, when he was involved he was creatively involved he
wasn't bothered about figures, box office numbers. He was just shooting
the film and enjoying it to the fullest.
The last time I met him was at Rani Mukerji's house when she had
arranged for Ganesh Puja...He spoke to me for an hour and told me
anything and everything about me in the film. He singled out few scenes
that he thought I'd really stand out. Strangely, whatever I would have
wanted to hear from my director post watching the film is what he told
me that day and I would have missed that opportunity because, sadly, he
is not there with us anymore. So I would have never heard of those
things from him. It's very bizarre that before he left he told me things
otherwise I would have felt empty ki yashji ne muje kuch bataya hi nahi
mai kaise thi like was he happy with me as he puts so much efforts
behind his actresses...like he could have taken any other actress for
this particular film. As actresses die to do a Yash Chopra film and he
took me so I just wanted to make sure that he was happy with his
decision and whether I justified his choice.
You are the rare, distinctive actress who have had the opportunity
to work with both father and son - Yash and Aditya Chopra how do you
feel about it and also comment on their respective styles of filmmaking?
I feel very special, unique, honored to have this chance to work with
both of them. From a director's perspective, I think Yashji makes
eternal love stories about man-woman relationship, whereas Adi's
(Aditya) stories concentrate on principles, correctness, goodness of an
individual. Yashji makes ultimate love stories apart from that he is
much quicker, shoots much faster, he completes the scene in just 1-2
takes for instance if we had 12 hours schedule in Kashmir for JTHJ we
would finish it in seven hours. Adi is also very quick but he is still
someone who would go for one more take until he is satisfied. While
Yashji is very clear and confident that actor apna pehla 3 take best
deta hai uske baad koi actor apna take accha nahi de sakta hai however
talented he/she may be.
And as persons...
As a person Yashji was younger, cooler, funnier and the youngest
person I have ever met because your age is in the mind, it's in how
progressive your thoughts are or how well you are moving. I am older
than Yashji in my thought process...He would accept the person as it is.
When he would talk to somebody he would come to that person's
level...He was people's person and that's why he stayed so young and so
fit. Like I remember it was shocking when I saw him climbing mountains
in Kashmir, it was hard...but he was so hale and hearty as he was
mentally fit, strong, he took things lightly and never showed an iota of
stress. Though Adi is very much influenced by his father's cinema but
his sense humour is not as good as Yashji's...Adi is very correct, a
principled man, everything is very transparent for him There's no chal
kapat in him...
Was there any particular scene in the film to enact or which hit you hard or touched you to the core?
Honestly there's no particular scene that I can single out and say it
was tough. Sometimes it so happens is even if your scene is tough but
with the kind of atmosphere you are surrounded is good, fun and light
the seriousness of the scene doesn't hit you. You perform in the relax
state. While shooting for JAB TAK HAI JAAN I had a great atmosphere
around me but I think as far as my character was concerned it required
me to be physically fit not just by appearance but actually physically
fit as my character is outdoorsi and very adventurous. She is
documentary filmmaker and going to places like Ladakh and Kashmir. Since
the oxygen level is low there so it could take a toll on you and that's
the reason I had to be physically fit.
Actresses have always looked special and beautiful in Yash Chopra's films
It's there for everybody to see. All his actresses have always looked
beautiful. That is not because of any physical appearance or any
special treatment but its more to do with the fact that he saw every
woman beautiful. According to him every woman is beautiful...He had that
love and respect for women which translated in his movies, it was his
vision that we saw. He was very chivalrous towards women; he found
beauty and was believer of beauty everywhere around him...
Right from the beginning there has been noise about
Shahrukh-Katrina's first time pairing. Does that bother you that you
might get overshadowed?
No not at all because you know when you are offered a movie, you know
the script, the role. The nature of Yashji's film is always a triangle.
So his stories are relationship between three people and how they are
interlinked with each other so obviously that concern did not even
strike me little bit also. Even if you watch his earlier films like
VEER-ZAARA, DIL TOH PAAGAL HAI you can't say that Ranir or Karishma had
less of a role. That's the nature of his films and Karishma Kapoor even
won National award for her performance. The strength and weight of his
roles are equal and that kind of thought never arise in my mind.
From the promos it appears that you will not be seen as a quintessential, conventional Yash Chopra heroine in the film?
My character Akira, which I play in the film, is very refreshing and
unique. When I saw VEER-ZAARA Rani came out to me like a strong
Pakistani lawyer something very new which I had never seen before. So
somewhere here also this girl is also like that. There's a Yash Chopra
heroine and then there's anti Yash Chopra heroine...I am an anti Yash
Chopra heroine...and the way you can differentiate between the two is
simply by the fact that a Yash Chopra heroine is someone who believes in
love. For her nothing is beyond love, that's the beginning and end of
all thing for her...whereas an anti Yash Chopra heroine is someone who's
a little too practical, bit cynical about love. I play a 21-year old
ambitious girl who wants to achieve her dream, a documentary filmmaker
on Discovery channel. So she feels love can come on the way of her
success, her dreams...that's what sets the two apart...Furthermore,
Katrina is also not like typical Madhuri...you will see a new twist to a
Yash Chopra heroine because you will be seeing her in a more
contemporary fashion. Though the soul of the film is old world charm, it
has love as its core, the expressions and language is contemporary.
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