Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
`Our career graphs are similar'
PHOTO: P.V.SIVAKUMAR
SHARING A RAPPORT Soha Ali Khan and Abhay Deol strike a pose
Two very different people, from similar backgrounds. Genealogy aside, Abhay Deol and Soha Ali Khan are working hard to break away from any expectations and image they might have to live up to. As they promote their new movie Ahista Ahista together, the duo show that they have a great off-screen camaraderie, as they squash rumours of an ongoing romance and fights between them. Abhay Deol clearly wants to play the wicked interviewer to Soha Ali Khan as Renuka Vijay Kumar listens in.
Abhay Deol: (grabbing the mike) So I'm doing the interview for Ahista, Ahista. Tell me Soha, how was it...
Soha Ali Khan: Stop being an actor and stop interviewing me!
Abhay: I have to say, Soha Ali Khan was very hard to work with and she played...
Soha: Are you asking me questions or are you interviewing yourself?
Abhay: Well, you're answering the questions badly . Say something nice.
Soha: Ok. Abhay Deol is a very good actor and Ahista Ahista is his best film.
Abhay: I'll take back what I said earlier... Soha Ali Khan is a very natural actor and. what else should I say? Don't you have family here?
Soha: I do. And now I have to go and meet them because they know I am here!
Abhay: Ha ha ha. Who exactly is here?
Soha: My father's sisters are here and some of their children and some of their children's children.
Abhay: Do they own half the city?
Soha: No, they own a portion of the city.
Abhay: Just a portion? Aww...
Soha: Yes, but they have a lovely house here.
Abhay: I believe the mansion is massive. Will they adopt me?
Soha: I know, you are into houses at the moment. But no, they won't (adopt you).
Abhay: Are you looking forward to travelling the country to promote the film?
Soha: Yes, I am looking forward to promoting this film because it's...
Abhay: (cutting her off) I didn't ask why... (more laughter ha ha ha )
Soha: So this is yes or no interview?
Abhay: Yes, it is. What would you have to say to the viewers about the film? What is it about?
Soha: It's about this boy who lives in old Delhi and is a very interesting character. Who works as a witness for marriages and still can't afford a new sweater...
Abhay: Yeah, that's true... but that's the stylist's fault.
Soha: So this guy has a lot of spunk and energy and then this girl, from a very different background comes into his life.
Abhay: Now I will talk about your character. So he sees this girl and approaches her and she is a very sweet girl who has run away from home. He kind of takes it upon himself to help her out and essentially it's about the relationship they share and where it leads him and her.
(On meeting each other)
Abhay: I met Soha at the Marriott through a common friend called Kunal Kapoor. That's how we met remember?
Soha: Yes, that's right.
Abhay: Kunal's her co-actor from Rang De Basanti and after that, we hit it off very well and met a few times before we stated the movie. I think it was a natural process. It was just so easy to get along with her because she's funny.
Soha: And you're funny looking.
Abhay: Yeah. But then this film came up for which Shivam (Shivam Nair, director of the movie) met her and liked her. And then he decided not to let our friendship develop any closer because we are supposed to play strangers in the film.
Soha: In fact, before we started shooting the film, he told me to stay away from Abhay so that we looked like we were uncomfortable with each other.
Abhay: It's all about acting... or not acting! Then of course, once we started making the film, we became better friends. Now I think we should do a comedy together. Don't you think Soha?
Soha: I think so. I would like to do a comedy, like a dark, black comedy!
Soha: I'm not choosing films on the basis of commercial value. I just read the scripts and see if I like it. Some of them tend to be commercial. Even my next film with Sudhir Mishra, is a sensible film even though it certainly is meant to be a commercial film. It's not high brow in any way. I'm also doing a film with Aparna Sen. They are not mainstream filmmakers, but are very good filmmakers. They idea is to do good films.
Abhay: I want to do films that are commercially successful. But I don't define films as commercial or non-commercial I just define them as good or bad. I've finished Ahista Ahista , which according to me is a commercial film. But some people who saw it thought it was sensible cinema. Strangely enough both our backgrounds helped us so much to get along in many ways. Even our career graphs are very similar.
Soha: I think it really is an asset to have people in the industry in your family because they have your interests in mind.
They know a good script from a bad script. They know who are the right people to work with. So it's very important to use that. But apart from that, I don think either of us have benefited in any tangible way from contacts.
Abhay: At the end of the day, it doesn't matter who you are related to. It only matters whether you can deliver the goods.
Her parents and my parents are very similar in the way that they think the only way you can survive out there is if you can learn on your own.
Soha: And my parent's wouldn't mind me saying this, but they don't want me to work in films. Especially my father. He is not at all a film person. He has never seen a Hindi film in his life and never will. But that's who he is.
Abhay: He's seen your films right?
Soha: No. He says, `I don't have three hours to watch your film.'
(On their link up as a publicity gimmick)
Soha: We are not really reacting to it or taking it seriously. You kind of get used to reading stuff about yourself, especially link ups.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Hyderabad
|
