Soha Ali Khan traces her well-thought-out journey into filmdom
Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P
I KNOW BETTER Soha believes her decision to act is her way of doing something for herself
Few actors in Bollywood would probably be as genuinely candid as Soha Ali Khan; and that too not with the agenda of garnering media mileage. Or as intelligent, poised, young and so early in her career has carved a niche for herself as a “thinki
ng actor” who does not want to put on a skinshow. A great combination of dynamics triggers curiosity about the doe-eyed Soha, who, despite a filmi family background, started off on a very subdued note in Bollywood.
“Rang De Basanti” really brought her talent to the head where 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. She did, however, start out with a damp squib called “Dil Mangey More” and starred in other average farers like “Ahista Ahista” and “Shaadi No. 1”. “What I have done up 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 . But going forward, I’m taking renewed interest and seriousness in my work, which I had not done before.”
Her next film, Sudhir Mishra’s “Khoya Khoya Chand” is due to be released soon. .
“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 a daunting place, says Soha, “if you don’t get the right guidance”. But wasn’t her mother, the legendary and stunning actress Sharmila Tagore, there to guide her? Soha sighs. “You have to be open to guidance in the first place. If you are a pig-headed person like me and have closed your mind to guidance then…I am still very independent minded. But now I also have more acceptance from her (mother) and therefore more support. She earlier thought it was a whim of mine to act. She felt my skills were elsewhere…but I know better,” says the confident 29-year-old starlet in a rush of words.
Soha’s decision to sign on a film and telling her family about it later, is now almost Bollywood legend.
Having graduated from the London School of Economics, she took on a job with the Ford Foundation and held a banking job in the corporate world before she decided to wet her feet in acting. But on what grounds was her mother apprehensive about letting her act? “Well, it goes beyond my being a girl. I guess she was worried about my brother Saif as well. It was also about the unpredictability of the lifestyle, the finances, and marriage. She always thought I was not inclined to do this. It was a surprise for her when I decided to join films. But my heart wants to be in films.”
The mantle of being from the royal family of Pataudi and being the daughter of the cricketer Nawab Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi rests lightly on her shoulders, so much so that you almost forget she is royalty, except for the nuanced bearing and courtesies. In fact the young princess talks a dime a dozen, and comes across as very fiercely independent.
But why didn’t films come first? “There was an attempt to do something else. My parents desperately wanted me to be something else. And I wanted to make them happy. Coming back to films was a good decision. Now I’m doing things for myself. It’s an informed decision.”
Her film with LA-based Rajshree Ojha “Chaurahein” is going to be doing the rounds at international film festivals, having opened at the Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI) festival.
Considering she’s been on TV in ads for an air hostess academy, Asian paints, Globus, a cooking oil, and we catch her in Bangalore when she is here shopping for her mom at a Mother’s Day promotion at the Lacoste Flagship Boutique, isn’t she doing too many campaigns? “I’m not doing too many endorsements, I’m doing some,” she retorts. “I want to do films for creativity. I’m stimulated by work. Unfortunately as a woman in Bollywood you get very limited roles and these don’t bring the money. I only do selective corporate endorsements.”
BHUMIKA K
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