Still remembered for her iconic role of Sakina in Gadar, this actress (a gold medalist in Economics) has ventured into film production with her maiden venture, Desi Magic. Ameesha Patel speaks about the challenges of being a producer
Paresh B Mehta (MID-DAY; June 24, 2016)

You have been an actor and now turned producer. Which role do you find more interesting?
I enjoy both since acting is something which I have been doing for a while now. It has given me the experience and the confidence to get into production. Making Desi Magic was primarily my partner Kuunal Goomer’s idea and persuasion. Kuunal often tells me, “You are a south Mumbai, American-educated girl and a gold medallist in Economics with so many academic accolades to your credit, then why is it that you haven’t chosen to build your empire and be a pioneer?” But a producer’s task is more challenging because you are not only responsible for yourself being on the set, but you are responsible for everything — from finance to scheduling to behind-the-camera work to appeasing everyone, getting dates of actors and overseeing the film’s look and styling. For instance, while shooting for Desi Magic during a four-week schedule in Patiala, there were some 20 character actors from Punjab itself. Suddenly there was a storm, unheard of in the region. The sandstorm wreaked havoc on our set which collapsed making us lose two days of shoot. We incurred a loss of Rs 40-50 lakh. It was a task to rework the dates of the actors again. While the other technicians were enjoying an unexpected holiday, Kuunal and I were panicking as the schedule was going haywire. Our budget also overshot as we had to erect the set again. These are the challenges a producer has to face, apart from location issues, unpredictable weather and, at times, even dealing with an actor who has had a different haircut which could mar the continuity of a film. The audience doesn’t realise all this and an actor wouldn’t be worried about these aspects of filmmaking. I have had producers requesting me to adjust my dates, so have always been a producer’s actress. I have taken a backseat for three years. Kuunal and I meticulously decide about the crockery, the set design, every dialogue change and all other minute details. I have a double role in Desi Magic apart from the role I play behind. So I am playing a triple role in the project. We are not here to make one film. I want my production house to grow.

You have fans worldwide. Can you narrate some crazy fan experience?
I recall a cute experience post Gadar’s release, when I was shooting in Jaipur fort for Humraaz. There is a scene in the climax where Bobby Deol comes to hug me. The area was cordoned off to a certain extent beyond which the fans could watch the shoot. One of the scenes had Bobby Deol come close to me and hug me. The Punjabi fans started screaming: “Chaddo isse. Yeh Sakina to Tara Singh ki amanaat hai. Pakistan se le ke aaya hai.” They related so much to Sakina’s character and were possessive about her. I was moved. Playing Sakina’s character in a cult film, the audience takes you home, and they feel offended and even though they knew it’s a film, they could not stand the fact that here I was hugging Sunny’s brother. Some Pakistanis even kept their daughter’s name as Sakina.

Being an actor, how do you deal with the constant media glare?
Being a celebrity, whether you are an actor or a sportsman or a politician, one ought to be ready for brickbats along with the adulation. You just have to take things with a pinch of salt. You need to take criticism lightly and let your work speak. I was in The Guinness Book of World Records for a debutant Indian actress beginning with a hit Kaho Na... Pyaar Hai followed by a blockbuster cult film like Gadar, Badri and then Humraaz. They were back-to-back super hit films.

Do you think since social media has become so prevalent, it has reduced an actor’s privacy?
Definitely. One gets clicked anywhere, especially with camera phones. Social media minus the smartphones would not have been so powerful. There are plus points of the social media too as in the case of justice being done in cases which otherwise could have been buried in the corners.

How do you deal with marriage proposals from fans?
I hope that one of these marriage proposals is a worthy knight in shining armour. I have been single for long now.

It’s been a while since your last release. What's in your mind?
There comes a phase in an individual’s life when one needs to pause and reflect. It was time to reinvent myself as a producer. Anyways, over exposure kills the shelf life of an actress.