Upala KBR (DNA; May 22, 2014)

Films
I am doing two films right now, one is called Bhaiyyaji Superhit and the other is Happy Ending, and I had nothing to do with what it’s called. It’s a film with Saif. You will be hearing about me doing some other movies soon but as of now, it’s just about the IPL and the elections. It’s the first time since 1984 — it’s been the most decisive elections for India with the BJP emerging as the single largest party with such a big majority.

Politics and elections
I had said seven years ago that I would like to see Mr Modi as Prime Minister. I started off as his biggest critic. Post Godhra, there were only negative thoughts in my head about him being communal. But when I started going to Gujarat to shoot etc and meeting other people there, especially the Muslims, and the stories I heard from them and the development that I saw around them made me see him in a different light. And you know what? The Supreme Court has given him a clean chit so who are we to judge? If the highest court in the country says something we must go by that, and secondly, it’s not the first time that we have had riots in India. We have had riots from 1984 to Kashmiri Pandit issues to the Godhra riots to the Muzaffarnagar riots — we have had all these issues but who, after falling down so badly, has gotten up and taken care of his state and done something for the people? So that means there’s a future with this person and that was the only reason that I really started leaning towards him and becoming a fan of his. The way the Gujarat machinery works, it would be great if India could be like that. We would be that Golden Bird once again people talked of and poets wrote about. I just hope that people don’t expect him to do everything in one day and just give him some time!

Production time
I am going to make a lot of movies. Ishkq In Paris will not be the only film I ever make. It was a great learning experience and I think I am ready to come back bigger, better and stronger.

Writing on the wall
People ask me if I will write again. I was more of a default writer for IIP, trying to help and finish in time. Preity, the writer, is not really the type who would write a love story — I will write something else so I hope you see something different. I have a few things that I am working on...

IPL and my team
It’s been seven years and finally my team is doing well. I am thanking God for it and am very happy with the way they are shaping up. I am even more happy because the Punjabi spirit is a happy and aggressive one. And the Punjabis supported us through thick and thin.We have been very lucky this year and also we have worked very hard. We have new strategies and we spent our whole money on the IPL. We have always been a very young team and Kings XI Punjab has always found new talent. We have 20-year-olds. They are kids to me. All are young players and it’s a very young team. The only bummer is that we have been travelling a lot and it’s so hot! I can take -10 degrees but I can’t take 45 degrees. My hands swell up and I am sweating and it’s tough but when the fours and sixes come I am very excited! I am just keeping my fingers crossed and praying to all the Gods that this time let it come to us.

I, me, myself
I am passionate about whatever I do. If I don’t like something, then I have minus 1,000 per cent interest in it. So if you want to make me do something I don’t want to do, then I feel bad for you. But if I like doing something then I give it everything. I always wanted to do different things because it would scare me to live this perceived image that people have of me. This image kept getting bigger and bigger but I remained the same person. Our DNA doesn’t change. I wanted to do movies, though my mother used to tell me as a child I wanted to be everything but an actress. I became that and then it became like a job for me. Being an actress gave me everything but it also scared me as I always wanted to do other things. In acting, you are giving your voice, name and energy at that moment to a character, so it’s a creation of someone’s imagination — that is not you! I am the kind of person who wants to put my feet on the ground but head in the clouds.