FOR MORE GREAT STORIES, VISIT COSMO.IN APRIL 2018 COSMOPOLITAN 75Athiya Shetty
is Woke
Our April cover star has some surprises up her sleeve. In a no-holds-
barred chat, the warm, spirited and opinionated Athiya Shetty discusses
her foray into films, the causes she feels strongly about, and the
‘dirty word’ she’s proud to be called.
By Meghna Sharma; Photographs: Taras Taraporvala; Styling: Zunaili MalikI
f first impressions are to be
believed, Athiya Shetty is
someone who’d rather keep to
herself—shy, introverted, some may
even use the word ‘aloof’. That’s
probably why they say first
appearances can be deceptive.
Because from the second we
exchange hellos, it’s evident that
Athiya has a palpable warmth to her.
And it no longer feels like an
interview; just two people chatting
about this and that.
Of course, this isn’t her first cover
with Cosmo. She was our covergirl
over two years ago, fresh after her
Bollywood debut (in Hero opposite
Sooraj Pancholi). “I remember that
cover shoot vividly. I was so nervous
and awkward, and remember
thinking ‘What’s going on?’. But
during this one, I was so much more
at ease,” Athiya laughs.
She goes on to reveal that a lot has
changed in the past three years, since
she faced the camera for the first
time. The monumental shifts have
been mostly internal, starting with
her confidence levels: “I have more
faith in myself, and I’m definitely
more confident than I was a few
years ago. You become more self-
aware with every photoshoot and
film. I also feel a lot freer in front of
the camera now—it brings with it a
happy, positive energy,” she says. “I
feel like I’ve grown up a lot. I now
know what’s important in life and
what to let go of. Just by being on set
every day, meeting new people,
successes, failures...every experience
teaches you and shapes you to be the
person that you are today. And that’s
an ongoing process,” Athiya says,
with a wise nod.
But her journey hasn’t been all
roses. “In the beginning, there were a
lot of people telling me what to do
and what not to do, what to wear and
what to say. And it really confuses
you,” she recalls. “But at the end of
the day, you have to be comfortable
in your own skin. You can totally tell
when I’m trying to be somebody else
or wearing something I’m not
comfortable in. And what’s the point
of that?,” she questions.
Changes aside, Athiya stresses that
there’s a lot that has remained the
same, too. “Even when I’m not
shooting, I do everything that I did
five years ago—whether it’s dance,
Hindi diction classes, gymming or
eating right, because I feel you can
never stop learning. I’m not someone
who just sits at home when I’m not
on set. I like to do things that
challenge me, so I take up a new
dance form or workout just to try
something different. At the end of
the day, we’re actors, and we learn
from watching people. This is whathelps us in our craft.”
Being from a film background, one
would assume that’s what wheedled
Athiya into being an actor. But it was
the opposite. “I know everyone
thinks that being a star kid, it’s served
to you on a platter. But for me, my
dad (Suniel Shetty) wasn’t a superstar;
he was just my dad. And he never
brought his work home (one thing I’m
struggling with). I never got a sense of
his success or failure, as I was never
exposed to the film industry or
allowed to go on set,” she reveals.
So what nudged her to become an
actor, we ask her? “I feel like I was
training for this ‘role’ my whole life.
I’ve grown up watching mainstream
cinema, where there is dance and
action, and I love such films. Ever
since I saw Madhuri Dixit, Kajol, and
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan on the big
screen, I’ve wanted to be an actor...”
says the 25-year-old. And is this the
kind of cinema she’s drawn to,
considering both her films were
quintessentially Bollywood masala
movies? “I have always said that your
first film chooses you, and you choose
your second. And while I love masala
movies, things have changed so much
in the last decade. People expect and
want to see meaningful content. It’s
not considered arty anymore. But
mainstream cinema is something that
brings in the money, right? So even a