The Hindu : New Delhi News : The little star descends on the Capital

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Saturday, Apr 19, 2008
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The little star descends on the Capital

Madhur Tankha

Darsheel Safary gets going with his first television commercial

Photos: R.V. Moorthy

Boy wonder: Bollywood’s youngest star Darsheel Safary in New Delhi on Friday.

Photos: R.V. Moorthy

Boy wonder: Bollywood’s youngest star Darsheel Safary in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: With his famous toothy smile and cheeky one-liners, child actor Darsheel Safary was the cynosure of all eyes at a function here in the Capital on Friday.

Basking in the success of his super-duper hit Taare Zameen Par, Darsheel was full of beans about his first television commercial for a health drink for children. When the host asked him about the drink, pat came the reply, “I like the chocolate flavour the best.”

No starry tantrums

Even though he made a dream debut as the protagonist in Aamir Khan’s first film as a director, Darsheel doesn’t feel or behave like a celebrity. No starry tantrums or media-savvy answers from him even though he is discreet about his future projects in Bollywood.

Though in Taare Zameen Par he is shown as a child who enjoys freaking out, staring endlessly at fish and has no time for academics, in reality Darsheel wants to pursue studies with complete dedication.

“Studies are my first priority these days. I study all my subjects with interest and cannot pinpoint any particular one as my favourite. I have become famous with Taare Zameen Par but I don’t want to be hounded by the media. Wherever I go, the media trails me. I am completely put off by them.”

Natural artiste

Darsheel may have won the hearts of cinema lovers with his act of a dyslexic child, but he says he had not rehearsed for the role. “I came to know that I was required to play a child suffering from dyslexia only while reading the script,” says the extraordinary talented boy who has a fascination for the historic Qutub Minar and majestic India Gate.

Darsheel says his moment of reckoning came when he won the Filmfare critics’ award for best performance. Even though his first and only movie is not in the race for the IIFA awards, the child actor sportingly says: “Doesn’t matter. Wherever my work is appreciated and I am honoured with awards and accolades it is fine.”

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