Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; October 3, 2018)

Actresses usually dream of a debut where a Bollywood superstar is attached to a project. Model-turned-actor, Warina Hussain, is part Afghani and part Iraqi, and she’s eager to make a lasting first impression on the marquee with Salman Khan’s home production, LoveYatri: Journey of Love. In an interview with BT, she takes us through her journey so far. She also reveals the hard work that she and co-star Aayush Sharma have put in on their first film, among other things. Excerpts…

The first experience of being on a film set can be quite special. What was it like for you on the set of LoveYatri: Journey of Love?
Our first shot was on a scooter for the song Tera Hua. We were told that we will rehearse and then shoot. But Vaibhavi Merchant (choreographer) had lied to us. She actually shot the song while we rehearsed to capture the raw moments. She knew we were nervous. Actually, I couldn’t sleep the night before out of excitement. While Aayush did his little prayer in the vanity van, I sought duas, too. It’s turned out to be an experience that will live with me all my life.

How do you view your journey leading up to a dream debut in a film produced by Salman Khan?
It’s not been easy. My mother and I settled in Delhi a decade ago when I was in my early teens. After class 12, I wanted to get into fashion designing which didn’t happen because of financial and family issues. I decided to earn and took up a job as a sales girl at a fashion designer’s boutique. That also didn’t work too well, so I took up modelling. At one point, I realised that I don’t have anything other than modelling to do. So, I decided to move to Mumbai to work in ad films. I gradually found opportunities with fashion catalogues and they became my primary source of income. From there on, it was one audition after the other, till I finally tested for LoveYatri.

With LoveYatri, you stumbled upon a chance to be employed by Salman Khan. What was your first meeting with him like?
I am an introvert. So, I take a while before I open up. Usually, I only smile and you can keep guessing what I’m thinking. I met Salman on the day I was signing the film. He said, ‘Hi! I am Salman Khan.’ I replied, ‘Hi! I am Warina Hussain.’ It was that casual. He told me that my auditions were good and that I would undergo more training. Aayush (Sharma) and Abhiraj (Minawala, director) thought, ‘Isko pata hai Salman Khan kaun hai?’ Generally, they are used to seeing people get ecstatic while meeting him. I drew a blank. (Laughs!) Whenever I am in doubt, I talk to Salman. He’s very stingy with praise, because he doesn’t want people to go off track. He’s generally very encouraging, but woh daant bhi dete hain if he finds you’re getting lazy.

Since you hail from Afghanistan, did your command over Hindi surprise a lot of people? It’s rare to find foreigners who know the language well.
(Smiles) Actually, a half of Afghanistan knows basic Hindi because everyone religiously follows Bollywood. For the longest time, wherever we went, my mother made sure she has a cable connection because she didn’t want to miss her Ekta Kapoor serials. I grew up watching Son Pari and Shararat. When I came to India is when I formally started communicating in Hindi. While talking to mom, I keep checking with her if she understands what I’m saying, because I often mix words from Hindi, English and Dari (her mother tongue).

All eyes will be on your co-star Aayush Sharma, because he’s debuting in a film produced by his brother-in-law Salman Khan. Where does that leave you?
I am nervous right now. I am not an Indian, so I don’t know how the audience and the industry will react to me. My Hindi is okay, but I don’t know if people will accept me as an NRI in the film. My acting and dance skills will also be analysed. As an artiste, I’m also into the habit of self-critique, but right now, this is the only thing going on in my life. I am hopeful that people accept me.

Generally, models-turned-actors fall prey to the perception that they’re not natural performers. From Katrina Kaif to Deepika Padukone, girls have been scrutinised in the past.
No one must be judged without seeing their body of work. As a model, you have a certain personality, which softens when you become an actress. It’s about how you groom yourself for the profession. Everyone who has made it big, has worked on themselves. Persistence matters a lot, if you have to survive in the film industry. I’ve often been asked if I was nervous while facing the camera. I was more concerned about other things. I will have to prove whether I deserve my next chance to act or not.

Bollywood has long been a favourite in your home country Afghanistan. Now that your debut film is set to release, what sort of reactions are you expecting from back home?
I wish my film opened there. The thing is I haven’t been to Afghanistan in a while. I do get messages from fellow Afghans from other parts of the world, wishing me luck and hoping that I succeed at what I am doing. While staying here in India, I just pray that women in Afghanistan have a great future ahead.