INTERVIEW
YOU CAN HAVE A GODFATHER,
YOU MIGHT BE WHOEVER’S SON OR
DAUGHTER OR GRANDDAUGHTER, BUT YOU
NEED TO BE TALENTED. YOUR SURNAME
ALONE CAN’T SUPPORT YOU... IT’S
DIFFICULT FOR STAR KIDS TO SURVIVE AS
WELL. THEY ALREADY HAVE THE PRESSURE
OF BEING SUCCESSFULShe cautions that you’ve
got to wait it out. The
other option is to either
write or produce yourself.
“I know the kind of stories
I want to produce. I’m
pitching some concepts
for the digital platforms
now,” she reveals.W
hat sets
her apart
is not
only her
choice of
bold characters but also
playing them with élan.
Be it the sexually-charged
scenes in Haramkhor
opposite Nawazuddin
Siddiqui, the lovemaking
scenes in Masaan with
Vicky Kaushal or even
the masturbation scene
in the recent Mirzapur,
which has her reading a
sexually-descriptive book
and indulging in self-
pleasure. “I don’t think
the masturbation scene in
Mirzapur or those in my
other films were bold,”
she counters. “These are
normal things. It’s just that
we don’t talk about such
subjects. We shy away
from such subjects. I was
just happy that my clothes
were on,” laughs the actor,
who’s slated to play a key
part in Mirzapur season
two. She continues, “Be
it Mirzapur, Haramkhor
or Masaan, nowhere
were the scenes used toattract eyeballs. Neeraj
(Ghaywan) was told to
add the kissing scene in
the trailer of Masaan but
he refused saying that’s
not what his film was
about. I trust my directors.
They will never misuse
my scenes in any way.”
She praises her Masaan
co-star saying, “Vicky’s
such a sweetheart. He’s
one of my favourite co-
actors. He’s genuine and
so nice to be around. As
an actor, he’s dedicated
and fun at the same time.”
Being an outsider,
who studied fashion
and was later a photo-
journalist with Femina,
her trajectory is laudable.
“The edge that star kids
have over the others is in
the contacts they enjoy.
They end up meeting the
right people, who can
launch them,” she states.
But eventually, you need
talent to survive here is
her belief. “You can have
a godfather, you might be
whoever’s son or daughter
or granddaughter, but
you need to be talented.
Your surname alone
can’t support you,” she
opines. She’s aware of
the flipside. “It’s difficult
for star kids to survive as
well. It’s not easy to have
an actor in your family.
Star kids already come
with the pressure of being
successful.” She views