Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P
CANDID Her heart is in films
Few actors in Bollywood would be as intelligent, poised or as genuinely candid as Soha Ali Khan; and that too not with the agenda of garnering media mileage. Naturally, one is curious to know more about the doe-eyed Soha, who, despite a filmi background, started off on a subdued note in Bollywood.
Rang De Basanti really brought her talent to the fore. Her level-headed and sensitive portrayal of Sonia grabbed attention, though she had already won critical acclaim for Rituparno Ghosh’s Antar Mahal in Bengali. However, her debut film Dil Mangey More turned out to be a damp squib. She has also starred in average films such as Ahista Ahista and Shaadi No. 1. “What I have done till now is a mixed bag,” admits Soha. “I’m more positive about what’s coming up next. Rang De Basanti was a great opportunity. Looking ahead, I’m going to take work more seriously.”
Her next film, Sudhir Mishra’s Khoya Khoya Chand is due to be released soon. Soha says it was a refreshing change playing an author-backed title role as an actress from the 50s, where she got an opportunity to display a gamut of emotions.
“I certainly could have thought more about my work. I was inexperienced. Sometimes you do make mistakes and I’ve been through that. Now I’m on firmer ground and have a clearer understanding of things. You can’t really predict how successful a film will be. An element of luck is always there.”
The world of films can be daunting, says Soha, “if you don’t get the right guidance”. But wasn’t her mother, the legendary Sharmila Tagore, there to guide her? Soha sighs, “You have to be open to guidance in the first place. But now there is more acceptance from her (mother) and therefore more support. She earlier thought it was a whim of mine to act. She felt my skills lay elsewhere…but I know better,” says the confident 29-year-old.
Soha’s decision to sign on a film and tell her family about it later is now almost Bollywod legend. Having graduated from the London School of Economics, she took up a job with the Ford Foundation and held a banking job before she decided to foray into acting.
BHUMIKA K.
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