You have been seen in diverse roles throughout your career. What inspired you to be a part of this film?
This is a wicked role. The film features two antagonists – Rohini, the mafia queen played by me, and the other, essayed by Rudraveer. Arjun Rampali, Raazi (director Rajneesh Ghai) said that he wants me to do that role, no one else. I just liked the graph of the character and the way he worked on the look. Furthermore, the film is a spy action thriller led by an actress (Kangana Ranaut), and Arjun and me coming together as antagonists made it an interesting combination. I’ve never done anything crazy like this before. Sometimes, during the shoots, I used to have such nasty streaks that weren’t in the script that I would have wondered where it came from (laughs!) Kangana is a wonderful actor, and I shared it with her on screen. Enjoyed every moment gone. I haven’t seen the movie yet, but
while doing, It felt like we were working on a movie bang. I had a blast during the shooting of the film. My years of hard work have paid off, and now I am getting roles that have been written for me.
Over the years, you’ve gained a reputation for being a formidable actress, and at this point, like you said, you’re getting roles that are written for you. Do you feel that earlier you did not get your due as an actress?
not at all. Really the journey has been beautiful. I started doing the role heroines are doing now.Veer-Jaras‘ (2004), and I’ve been doing them for the past 15 years. I didn’t know what was going to happen after that. But now is the time; Amazing roles are being written for women.
What do you think has changed in this?
This is a recent phenomenon with OTT
,It changed many things. For a long time, we were star-driven in many aspects and following a one-point approach, which changed in the last five years. Now, audiences expect diverse content. In that given space, the female characters have got a lot of layers.
first he Good girl
Then dirty girl
used to be, now we can see a lot of gray characters. Personally, I cannot thank my mother enough for guiding me so well, especially when I had no support. He said, “Nobody’s going to make a film for you, so you have to prove that you’re a good actor. Go out there, give that X-factor, have them pay attention to you and write roles for you.” It’s so amazing. That she has been proved right. It’s been a rich journey to carve your own path. You fall many times, but it’s great when you can look back and smile when your hard work pays off.
OTT has also changed the way we look at superstardom…
How many superstars do we have today? Stardom is not consistent, and it varies with box-office numbers. Moreover, no one is chasing superstardom anymore except in films. OTT is such a democratic medium that a superstar, a good actor and a newcomer are in the same place and frame. The flick of a finger decides what you want to see. It feels good to be called a star-actor. That’s what I always wanted to be called.
It is very rare, and it is very rare in women.,
Apart from the existing OTT space, would you consider ‘Veer-Zaara’ to be the turning point of your career?
Yes, the same thing happened with ‘Veer-Zaara’. I remember being extremely apprehensive about getting into the friend zone Yash Chopra thin crust. I wanted to be in those chiffon saris dancing to beautiful songs, but Adi (Aditya Chopra) said that when you look back, you will be glad that you did ‘Veer-Zaara’. I had faith in him. When I walked out of the premiere of the film, I was robbed. So, in an unconventional way, I was actually re-launched by Yash Chopra. But the fear of being typecast kept haunting me as I was flooded with similar offers – a vibrant Punjabi lady. After a year of sitting at home, I got Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s ‘Delhi-6’ (2009), in which I played the character of a non-Punjab jalebi. I realized that there are two types of directors – one who sets an example with a different vision and the other who follows them. So, I chose to work with directors who can see me differently. I love it when directors say, ‘
only you will, His faith excites me like a child and inspires me to do more.