Sara Ali Khan on inheriting her mother’s kind heart, her father’s sharp mind, and what she means to achieve as an actor
Ashwini Deshmukh (DNA; May 12, 2019)

When was the moment when you realised you wanted to be an actor?
Honestly, there wasn’t any moment of epiphany as such. I remember singing and dancing to Bollywood music when I was around four or five. I used to mimic ads at home. When we went for admission in a school, mom said: Ab aap adab se, tameez se kuchh boliye. I went ahead and sang, Dama dam mast kalandar. Everyone understood that I was a crack child. As far as I can remember, this is what I always wanted to do.

Your parents separated when you were a kid. Do you carry any scars?
No.

How was it for you as a kid?
I was a kid, who understood that her mother and father were happier that way. I can’t change how they are when they’re together. But you must know the option. I could have been brought up in an extremely unhappy, unstable and toxic household. But today, I live with the world’s best mother in the most secure, happiest and healthiest space ever. People even used to ask me, ‘Don’t you miss the idea of a Sunday family lunch?’ Every day after the gym it’s like a girl’s day out for mom and me. Every night is like a pajama party. I love it.

And as far as my father is concerned, he’s never ever let me feel that we don’t live together. He’s always a phone call away. He’s always available for dinner, for coffee. So why would I feel like that? I have two happy homes with two happy parents. That’s a win-win situation as opposed to a massive loss for everyone.

Q. Who are you closer to – your mother or father?
Mom. She’s my whole world. I can’t function without her. From should I wear this, how did you like the trailer to is this boy good enough...? Her opinion matters in everything. I’m a homely mother’s girl. Mom and I are hysterical together. We’re just a riot at home. People have a blast looking at us.

Which of your father’s films do you like the most?
Hum Tum is a film that I enjoy. A touch of the urbane, suave and finesse… that’s what dad brought on the screen. Objectively, no actor since has been able to do that.

What about your mother Amrita Singh?
I didn’t watch mom’s films while growing up because she wasn’t shooting then. But recently, I’ve watched a lot of her films. I’ve watched her songs as well. She was never a dancer but if you see Mere Pyaar Ki Umar (Waris), she’s so cute. She’s as spontaneous as a human being too. From Betaab to 2 States, there’s a consistent spontaneity and innocence. That’s because she’s a child at heart. She’s the most genuine and most compassionate person. And she’s real. So much so that be it her anger or her irritation… it’s all out in the open.

The best you have inherited from your parents...
I have my father’s mind and my mother’s heart. That makes me a cool chick. What I don’t have, I will cultivate. If I can conduct myself with the intelligence, the worldliness and the knowledge that my father has, and if I can sleep the way mom sleeps, I’ll be good to go. She doesn’t have a single blob on her conscience. While I already have a couple of them. So I’ll have to work hard to be the way she is.

What do you have to say about your stepmom Kareena Kapoor Khan?
I’ve been an avid Kareena Kapoor fan. So even today there’s an element of surprise that Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G) is my stepmother. People say I willed it to happen. I must have. After Sridevi, I’m a Kareena Kapoor fan. As far as our personal equation is concerned, I was clear from the beginning that anyone who makes my father happy — not specifically Kareena — makes me happy. Anyone he loves, I love.

I don’t need to know who that person is. It’s about my father. Having said that, Kareena and I became friends and have a healthy equation. It’s also easy for me to love and accept Kareena because I have a mom, who makes me feel everything’s fine. She got me ready for my father’s wedding with Kareena. So when you have a mother saying, ‘Yeh earrings mat peheno, doosri chandbali peheno’... and if that’s the vibe at home, then you’re comfortable enough to take anything on.

From 96 kilos to the svelte star you are…
Yes. I’m 55 kilos now. I don’t relate to that girl anymore. I look at my past pictures and go, ‘What the hell was I thinking?’ I’m a foodie. So, it wasn’t a joke to lose weight.