Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; December 17, 2018)

Life has come full circle for Anushka Sharma. Exactly a decade ago, she made her debut in Bollywood opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and now, there’s Zero with him again. She is naturally excited with what she calls a “sweet coincidence”, and in a candid chat with BT, the spunky actress talks about her changing equation with Shah Rukh, her unconventional way of thinking, life post marriage and pregnancy rumours. Excerpts...

You started your career in a film with Shah Rukh Khan and now, exactly a decade later, you have a film again with him releasing around the same time. Quite a coincidence?
I realised this some time ago and I was like, ‘Oh God! It’s been 10 years!’ On December 12, 2008, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi released and now, Zero with Shah Rukh is releasing. It’s amazing! It’s like life has come full circle, which is beautiful. It’s even more special because Shah Rukh is somebody I have always admired, be it his drive, his passion or his ability to take every day as his first day. To have that kind of drive is not easy — to come on the set everyday, be willing to break your bones, hurt yourself and do anything for the sake of a film.

Zero has two actresses in lead roles, Katrina and you. What are the factors that you consider before saying ‘Yes’ to a two-heroine project?
I don’t look at it as a two-heroine film. I see it as a film that has characters in it. We usually talk about these things when it’s to do with women, we don’t ask male actors about this. I don’t dwell upon such things because I’m only concerned about what I am doing in the film. There could be times when I am offered a film where I am the only leading lady, but if the story is not interesting, I won’t do it. At the same time, even if it’s an ensemble cast, like in Dil Dhadakne Do, I would do it if I feel it’s interesting and I want to work with the director. My reason for being a part of Zero is that I am very happy with my role. Also, when there are interesting characters like Katrina’s character (in Zero), you want the right people to do the film. You are as invested in it as anybody else. So, for me, Katrina doing this film is as important as me doing it. My thinking is very unconventional; I don’t have that primitive way of thinking. And I can safely say that even the audience today has really evolved.

In a way, you started the trend of marriages in Bollywood. Tell us about your wedding (Anushka married Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli in December last year).
(Smiles!) Yes, I guess. Sonam got married, then Deepika (Padukone) and Priyanka (Chopra). Talking about my marriage, I always do things that I feel are right for me. I was 29 when I got married and it was something that just had to happen. In my head and in terms of commitment, we were already there. I am very happy with the way it all happened. We wanted it to be private and something that was truly ours. We wanted it to be like a wedding that was happening in our own home and we are glad we were able to do that. In fact, I remember that while I was shooting for Zero, I was planning my wedding.

There was a time when a leading lady’s career graph would change post marriage; there weren’t as many roles written for them. But today, we are in a new era and in this aspect, the industry and the audience have some a long way. What do you think?
This thought never even crossed my mind when I was getting married. I have never paid attention to such things. Marriage is not something that one should shy away from. I believe that if my work and what I bring to the table is important, then I have to value myself enough and not fall prey to such ideas. These are all redundant concepts. Today, women have children, they go out to do their jobs and come home. Work is a part of life and so is marriage, and you have to enjoy both. You can’t live in fear, I don’t and I have always done what I wanted to do.

Post marriage, how has life changed?
Life hasn’t changed. I was working till two days before I got married. It’s been a hectic year for me. When you are two individuals who are really busy and accomplishing a lot in your respective lives, your marriage is as normal as normal can be. That’s how it is for everybody.

Given that Virat seems comfortable in front of the camera, as we can see in his commercials, is there an actor in the making here?
That’s something you should ask him (smiles).

Coming back to you, how do you deal with constant speculation about being in the family way? What do you say when people ask you if you are expecting a baby?
I really think that all this is very dakiyanusi (regressive). When I am asked this question by anyone, it feels like some taiji is asking me that! Everyone should respect another person’s privacy. Just because you are married, it doesn’t mean that the next step is to go the family way. I got married at a young age for a reason. If you are having a baby, it is something that no one can hide. You can still hide a marriage, but not the fact that you are pregnant. People can keep speculating (about someone being pregnant), and then after four months when they realise that these stories are false, they will feel silly and say, ‘Let’s go after the other one who got married, let’s talk about her now’! This is done to generate news. There is absolutely no truth to it and it’s not something that’s being planned in the near future.

Talking about Zero, you play the challenging role of a scientist suffering from cerebral palsy. How did you go about preparing for it?
I wanted to to do full justice to it and represent it correctly. I worked on it for three months with an occupational therapist and an audiologist to understand the condition and what the physical limitations are. My character is a highly accomplished scientist. I just wanted to make sure that I am able to bring out her spirit. Himanshu (Sharma, writer) and Aanand (L Rai, director) sir did a lot of research on this and I completely followed their vision.

What was the kind of bonding on the set between Katrina, Shah Rukh and you? Also, given that you have done four films with Shah Rukh, how has your equation with him changed over the years?
In my case, it has obviously changed; maybe not for him because he has been doing this for so many years. I remember I was so awkward and raw initially. Today, I’m more confident and I feel that I can have a conversation and discuss various topics with him, which earlier, I would be scared to, wondering whether what I am saying was important enough! Shah Rukh has always been nice to me and he has made me feel comfortable. It feels like I have worked with him all through my career, because we have been doing a film together almost every other year (she has worked with him in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) as well).

With Katrina, this is my second film. I really respect her attitude towards her job. Sometimes, I am just amazed at the hard work she has put into her career; that's something nobody can ever take away from her. She is really easy to work with and she is a very real person. She is not pretentious at all and that's the case with me, too. In this film, we haven’t shot together, but whenever I meet her and we hang out together, it's just so easy. We can sit on a couch and not talk to each other, without feeling, ‘Oh! we have to talk to each other’. That's the comfort level between us.

At 25, you started your own production company along with your brother, and you have been making some interesting movies. Apart from understanding the business, what’s the one learning that you’ve had so far?
Everything is a learning and you are also unlearning, which is very important. We see this as a long journey, where we are creating content and generating different concepts. People understand that we are capable of finding the right talent, be it writers or directors. Also finding new talent and honing that. It’s a very cool time for us. This has taught me one thing — just follow your conviction.

Have you ever thought of directing a film?
No, there is too much happening already. I’m producing, acting, running my fashion label, so I have a lot on my plate.

You always said that you are socially awkward. Is that aspect of your personality getting better?
I’m not awkward anymore, but I am happy being alone and in my own space. Sometimes, my friends make fun of it and say that I am almost reclusive. That’s because I am doing many things and it takes up a lot of my head space. My work takes up majority of my time and the rest of the time, I spend with my loved ones.

So, how do you detach from work at the end of the day?
I leave my work outside the house, that’s a rule in my home. I am very good at compartmentalising my life and creating clear boundaries. That’s what keeps me sane, happy and peaceful.