Lasyapriya Sundaram (BOMBAY TIMES; June 6, 2018)

Daisy Shah made her Hindi film debut opposite Salman Khan in Jai Ho (2014). Since then, however, the actress has taken her time to choose her projects. Two years later, she starred in the third instalment of the Hate Story franchise. This Eid, and she is all set to play a mean girl in yet another franchise, Race 3. In a candid chat with BT, Daisy talks about how she dealt with the trolling of her now famous dialogue from the Race 3 promo, about the importance of patience while waiting for the right roles to come by and how she is keen to be in a relationship with someone. Excerpts…

Your upcoming release, Race 3, features a number of big stars. Does that take the pressure off you?
I think it’s a huge a opportunity for me, because I am part of a film that has stars like Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor and Bobby Deol. It will grab eyeballs and I will get noticed, too. I hope Race 3 opens more doors for me. It’s not about how much screen time I have, what matters is reaching out to a huge number of people. I liked my character in the film, and it also gave me an opportunity to dabble in hardcore action. I have a grunge avatar in the movie, which is similar to the real me. At the same time, I don’t want to be stereotyped, because I am still exploring. I am just trying to gain experience and hone my skills.

Your dialogue from the film — ‘Our business is our business, none of your business’ — has been trolled. On the flip side, everyone is talking about it and even the Mumbai Police have used it as part of their campaign...
It’s been blown out of proportion. I am happy, however, that the Mumbai Police are using it as part of their campaign that spreads awareness about data sharing. We are actors and there are going to be millions of opinions about us. Having said that, I think trolls are people, who need to do something productive about their lives. Also, what they don’t realise is that we choose to share what we do with people. There are many aspects of our lives that they don’t have access to. It’s like, ‘Mooh hai to bolenge’, and in this case, it’s ‘haath hai to likhenge’.

You made your Bollywood debut in 2014 with Jai Ho, opposite Salman Khan.Since then, it has taken you close to four years to be a part of another big-budget film. Were you taking it slow, deliberately?
I wasn’t getting good projects and I didn’t want to take a decision in haste. So, I decided to work on myself. While some make it in three months, others take three years. Every person’s destiny is different. The best thing about my career is the journey. There will be obstacles, but I have never shifted my gaze away from my goal.

What were your challenges after Jai Ho?
According to the trade, the film didn’t do well at the box office, though it made more than Rs 100 crore. It’s a huge number for a debutante, but people have sky-high expectations from a Salman Khan film. The film was not declared a huge success and that affected my prospects. However, I have no complaints. I could have signed 10 films after Jai Ho, but those films would have done nothing for me. I wanted to wait for the right project.

How would you describe Salman Khan’s contribution to your career?
Salman Khan has shaped my identity and I am his protégé. I got an opportunity to be in front of the camera because of him. I know that he is always there for me and I seek his advice whenever I need it. Though I have been a part of the industry for a long time (as an assistant choreographer), I was working behind the scenes. Salman helps me understand how to approach roles.

From being an assistant choreographer to an actress, life must have changed drastically for you. Does the fact that as a celebrity, you have to constantly look your best, put pressure on you?
Today, I look after myself. Earlier, I was not concerned about my looks, as I was not judged on the basis of it. I am a tomboy and so, there are times when I feel that dressing up goes against my personality. However, I don’t feel burdened by the fact that I have to look good.

Moving on from your professional life to your personal life, are you dating somebody?
I am not dating anyone and I am tired of being single. I want to be in a relationship, but it’s difficult to find somebody nice. It doesn’t matter whether he is from the industry or from some other field.