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Meet the other Kaif

`Namastey London' may bring good tidings for Katrina Kaif

PHOTO: H. VIBHU

PRETTY PICTURE Katrina Kaif's next film is set for release

When Vipul Shah director of Namastey London that sees its release this coming Friday, was asked about what a beautiful Katrina was doing in his film except behaving like a baby doll, Shah said, "You will change your opinion about her after you see her as Jasmeet Singh alias Jazz in it. I didn't know she had so much of pent up emotions in her. She surprised me many times by not using glycerine in her emotionally-charged scenes."

And if you ask Katrina, she attempts to hide it like this. "All of us are emotional, aren't we? Sometime we associate our feelings with those we play which give us ample reasons to cry that we always wanted to do but never had time or occasion... "

Here is she, playing Jazz, an Indian born and brought up in Britain and in love with a British guy. She is brought back to India by her father played by Rishi Kapoor, and married to a Punjabi farmer Arjun, played by Akshay Kumar who can barley speak in English.

Feel for the role

If Katrina labels this film as her "best so far" she has reasons. "I play half myself and half another girl. Jazz is a spoilt girl that I am not. So, to play that spoilt girl who behaves in a peculiar way in a London bar is what I drew from my past experiences of Britain. My own life has been a major referral point for me. I know how a girl who is standing at a nightclub entrance behaves when a spoilt brat hits her at the back just to have fun. It was, and it still is unacceptable to me. But I behaved the way London girls behave at that time. I remember once, a friend of mine in a London bar, after slurping a mug of whiskey, behaved in an extremely awkwardly manner. I did the similar thing in one of my shots. But I must say that people in India at bars are far more reserved and well behaved."

For this film, Katrina has barely worn make up except some foundation and light lipstick.

It is because, "Young girls in London hardly wear make up but they wear most fashionable of dresses. So, I also didn't even use false eyelashes or loud make up. In India, film heroines are done to death with loads of make up even if they are playing a foreigner," she rues.

With Akshay Kumar, this is Katrina's second film, Humko Deewana Kar Gaye being the first. Though Akshay helping her with dubbing etc has been doing the rounds but Katrina says, "For the first time I have done my own dubbing. It was very exciting. With Akshay, this being my second film, I shared a very good chemistry. Because, he plays a Punjabi boy I had to learn some Punjabi from him to communicate with him," she shares.

No satisfaction

Till now Katrina hasn't played any role that has left a great imprint on the audiences' mind. They remember her as having a great face than acting skills. She reacts, "The problem is with films in which my roles are limited to a beautiful girl whom young boys chase. Not all the roles that I have done have been creatively satisfying. And the final editing takes out much from the film often. I love to do comedy film in which really feel comfortable. But unfortunately in our comedy films girls are supposed to be roaming around boys to trigger comic situations rather than doing any comedy per se. That way my role gets limited again. Humko Deewna is a recent example of that. But fortunately, in Salaam Namastey, I have got a chance to perform," she states.

For now, Katrina has Hello, Apne, Campus and Partner in her kitty. "I don't play full fledged role in Hello but a special appearance. I am not even sure if am in it. Apne is a family drama in which I play a doctor. Partly, it is a comedy. In Partner I am come from a rich family. And I play a college girl in Campus," she says.

RANA SIDDIQUI

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