Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; January 1, 2017)

I was about 11 when I first watched Madhuri Dixit dance her iconic number, Ek Do Teen, in Tezaab. I consider this a trigger point that made me interested in movies. The acting bug had bit me.

In the years that followed, during my growing up years, I carefully watched actors’ performances and tried to imbibe the things I liked. My sister, Priya, would constantly tell me that acting wasn’t just about having a pretty face and a good body. It’s what you do with it. It is how you use it to convey what you are thinking, feeling and going through.

Of course, over time, my understanding of acting changed and evolved, but at a basic level, I think the one factor that has, and still remains, is my interest in people and their life stories. It is the chance to relate to their tales or alter them. Or perhaps, imagine how changing a little bit in someone’s life can change their life altogether. This is probably most evident in my choosing a film like The Dirty Picture (2011). The South sex siren, Silk Smitha, is far removed from the person I am. I wanted to know what and how it feels. I could only do that by living her.