Meena Iyer (DNA; May 24, 2019)

The dishy Disha Patani (MS Dhoni, Baaghi 2) will be seen next as a circus girl in Salman Khan’s Eid offering Bharat. Word on the street is that the boys find this Bareilly ki barfi (she hails from the northern city) hot, hot, hot, thanks to her lissome figure and attractive face. However, she is often spotted with Tiger Shroff, so everyone maintains a safe distance.

Even her media interactions are rehearsed, leaving no room for spontaneity and even less scope for controversy. Since these are her early days in B-Town, we indulge her, sticking to ‘safe’ zones and record her staccato responses. Excerpts from our chat…

We just overheard you telling another journalist that you would like to do a remake of the Hrithik Roshan-Katrina Kaif 2014 action comedy flick, Bang Bang. True?
Yes. I would love to do the movie with Hrithik.

Why not with Tiger?
Oh, I have done Baaghi 2 with him. Now, I would like to work with Hrithik.

Tiger says you are a close friend.
Yes, he is my best friend too. Besides him, I don’t have any pals in the film industry.

Are both of you similar?
Yes and no. Both of us are hardworking, but he is more driven than me. We are ambitious and have big goals. However, I am more chilled out. He never gives up, he is so intense. I admire that about Tiger.

Anyway, word is that guys find you hot?
In my entire life, no guy has come up to me and said that they find me hot. No one flirts with me; they have not even attempted to do so.

They must be scared.
(Laughs) How scared? From my growing-up years until now, I haven’t been approached by anybody. I have a confession. During my childhood, I was a bit of a tomboy. My dad raised me like a boy. I even wore my hair short until I was in the ninth grade. It is only when I went to the 10th grade that I started growing my hair. I was also an introvert. In school, I was a quiet student and confined myself to the last bench.

Coming to Bharat, would you say this is your big break?
I never think like that. If I like something, I do it.

How was it working with Ali Abbas Zafar?
Well, Ali and I are from Uttarakhand. So, we had that connection. I liked working with him.

Salman Khan says you are pretty and hardworking?
Oh, did he? Why don’t more people come and tell me this sort of a thing? It’s so sweet of Salman sir to say this. He is kind. I observed him being approached by many people for various things and he always helped them. He is a family-oriented person. During the shoot, he would always call for food from his home and feed all of us.

But we heard you are so particular about your diet… 
Yes, I am. However, I would sit with the rest of the group when Salman sir called. It was a warm, nice feeling to be with everyone.

Anyway, what is your diet like?
I eat wholesome meals; carbs and proteins. Mostly chicken and rice.

Is it home-cooked?
Sometimes. Otherwise, I have a particular restaurant in Bandra that knows how I like my food. So, it comes from there. The chef in that restaurant knows I’m gluten and lactose intolerant. Also, my food is practically bland; it has less salt and no masala.

Were you always so diet-conscious?
I ate home-cooked food in Bareilly. I had no issues with that. However, when I moved to Mumbai I was living alone. I would cook my own food. I would sometimes make an omelette or just casually toss up a light meal. Then I went on a gluten-free diet for a long time. After a few weeks, I craved a change and tried eating bread and rotis. This time, my stomach didn’t take well to gluten. I also need to stay in a particular shape, so I have to make sure that I eat right.

Sara Ali Khan, Janhvi Kapoor and so many other girls are your contemporaries. How do you assess competition?
I think there is enough opportunity for everybody. I am happy that so many girls from varied backgrounds are here. I want everyone to do well. Frankly, I don’t think there is any kind of competition or rat race.

I also feel people tend to play more comparison games between girls than they do with the boys. I don’t understand this. We girls have different personalities and our own skill sets. We are not here just to look good. We work hard, we have goals.

Any filmmaker you are keen to work with?
Sanjay Leela Bhansali. However, I am scared of him because I have heard stories of him being strict. I sometimes feel I may not be able to give the level of perfection Sanjay sir seeks.

Did such a situation arise on the sets of Bharat?
No, Bharat is more commercial. I had to be super sharp, but it was fun. I play a girl from a circus and I managed to do what was needed of me.

You are in the same film with Katrina Kaif, hmmm…?
There isn’t much interaction. However, I must confess that I have been a Katrina fan since the time I saw her in the song, Jee Karda, from Singh Is Kinng (2008) where she was wearing a pink skirt. She looked like a Barbie Doll.

Go on…
Bharat was a dream come true. I’m barely two films old and here I am working with Katrina mam, Tabu mam and Salman sir. Though we are not in the same frame, we are in the same film. And that feels so great. People need not be a part of a rat race. You do not need to compete with one another. You need to be good at what you do.