Image Courtesy: Munna S
‘I was a goof ball’
I lived in Mumbai till the age of 10 and moved to Goa with my parents, where I lived for seven years. That’s when I took to modelling. I returned to Mumbai to do ad films. Being decked up and in the limelight felt good. But it was also stressful. You just didn’t have to look pretty; you had to do a fair amount of acting too, even for an ad.
Later, I got into the South industry. My first film Devadasu (2006) did well and the second one, Pokiri, did even better in the same year (she won the Filmfare Award for Best Debut). I grew confident and also earned a fair amount of money. It gave me a high. But it was demanding too.
It was only after Jalsa (2008) that I really started enjoying it. Since then, I’ve become passionate about acting. And awards boost your confidence. It’s like a prize towards the year’s end, like in school. It’s a reminder that you’re a good actress.
Honestly, I’ve always been a shy girl. If you ask my college friends, they’ll say, “she always walked with her head down. She never spoke to guys.” I was more like a wallflower, a goof ball. But this profession has changed me.
‘Barfi! was a risk worth taking’
When Anurag Basu narrated the story of Barfi! to me, it sounded unconventional, something I hadn’t done before. It was only after I read the script for the third time that it finally sunk in. You have a deaf and mute guy, you have an autistic girl and then you have me. And the story revolves around how the three of them connect. I was game to take the risk and venture into completely unknown territory, in a totally new industry. You never know if the film’s going to work or not. You cannot gauge the audience’s perspective. But I always had a good feeling about Barfi! My fans in the South got to see a completely different me.
‘There wasn’t any advice session from Priyanka’
I was expecting Ranbir Kapoor to be reserved, in his own world, sticking to his character. No doubt, he is completely in character once the camera starts rolling but otherwise he’s chilled out. As a co-star, he gives 100 per cent not just to his shots but also to yours. If the camera focusses on me and Ranbir’s back is towards the camera, he will still be in character and contribute to the scene. That’s the best part of him.
It’s the same with Priyanka (Chopra). She’s lovely. But there weren’t any advice sessions because I’ve been in the business for six years myself. As for rumours about Priyanka and me not getting along, such publicity stunts are normal. But there wasn’t anything of that sort.
‘Priyanka is very easygoing’
Ego clashes happen only when two people are insecure. Priyanka is in a different league all together. I have just entered Bollywood. Considering her stature, even if she did have an attitude, I’d say, ‘that’s okay, she can have it’. But the truth is she doesn’t have airs. She is very easygoing. She’ll walk around in chappals and chat with everyone. She actually sent me these scratch guards for my iPhone because I asked her where she got them from. She is warm and very normal. When people saw us on the first day, they must have wondered, ‘Are they going to get along or sit on the opposite ends of the set?’ But we hit it off. She was gracious enough to come over to my van and say hello to me on the first day of my shoot. It was a sweet gesture. She is an amazing actress. I love her work.
‘I can’t diet to save my life’
The last film I did in the South, before I started Barfi!, was 2009’s Kick (also being remade in Hindi). I was chubby in the film. And people loved me that way. But I needed to lose weight for Barfi!. If you look at Ranbir and Priyanka, they are both slim. So, there was no way I could match their frame. I was always conscious about my weight and lost six kilos. Now, I don’t have love handles. I decided to hit the gym and work out. I exercised because I can’t do crash dieting. I can’t diet to save my life.
‘There was no fight between Farah Khan and me’
We were shooting the remake of Three Idiots (Nanban, 2012). Director Shankar Shanmugam had added an extra song. It had intricate belly-dancing movements. We had even done the rehearsals but I pulled a muscle in my thigh and couldn’t walk for four days. It was Farah Khan who rushed me to a physiotherapist. She helped me cover up with some shots so that I didn’t have to go through the painful steps. Farah is unbelievably easygoing; she used to even feed me on set. She made it a point to clarify that nothing of the sort had happened between us (reports alleged that Ileana had refused to step out of her vanity van for the shoot). I appreciate that.
‘Marriage is forced upon by society’
I’m sceptical about marriage. It’s not like I don’t believe in it. But there are three things that are musts in a relationship. First is mutual respect. The second is trust, which is the most difficult. Then comes love. A relationship is a companionship where you share anything and everything. He’s your 4 am friend. But I don’t think you need to get married. I have read books to change my perspective but it still hasn’t worked. Marriage is something forced upon by society.
‘I prefer living in’
Living in is absolutely great. But couples who have been living in and want children have an obligation to get married. They will have less stress in their lives; they won’t have to answer a hell lot of questions. But marriage restricts you and you get stuck. It spoils the relationship. Maybe I am wrong, I hope I am. But I’m in no hurry to get married.