Suhas Yellapantula (BOMBAY TIMES; September 22, 2019)

As we are welcomed into Zareen Khan’s vanity van, parked near the sets of her debut Telugu film Chanakya, it’s evident that the actress spends a considerable amount of time in the vehicle. “Don’t mind the mess. Please make yourself comfortable,” she tells us, as we scout for a place to sit amidst piles of costumes, boxes of shoes, hair and beauty tools and tons of make-up. “This place is like my home here. It’s where I come back to unwind after a long day’s shoot. I also come here when I take a break from shoot and it’s where I can be myself — the way I am when I’m at home,” Zareen says, as she settles down for a chat about playing a lesbian in her upcoming Hindi film and dealing with trolls who never tire of comparing her to Katrina Kaif.

The news of you playing a lesbian in your upcoming film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele has created quite a stir...
It is the story of the friendship between a lesbian girl and a gay boy. When I heard it for the first time, I knew that I had to do this. I try to do films that touch upon social issues or problems that the country or the world is facing. It’s high time people talk about the discrimination that LGBTQIA+ community faces. Homosexuals have always been a part of our society and they should be getting the same treatment as anybody else. They have the same blood, skin and emotions. So why do we look at them differently? The abolition of Section 377 has come as a big boost to the community and hopefully, it’s the first step towards ending discrimination against them.

Yes, there has been some backlash because I signed a film like this. In fact, some people have been trying to teach me my religion! Haters can hate; it just reflects their own narrow mindset. People troll you irrespective of what you say or do, and I can’t be bothered by that or let that affect my decision-making. There is a popular saying that goes, ‘You may be the juiciest peach in the world, but there will still be people who don’t like peaches.’ Whether people like this film or not, I’m doing it for my satisfaction.

Talking of trolls, you were recently body-shamed for stretch marks on your stomach. You even hit back with a fitting response...
It wasn’t my intention to react, but I found it strange that a picture about the beautiful surroundings around me suddenly became about my body! Instead of admiring the beauty, people chose to focus on a very small area of my stomach. These are the same people who look at pictures of celebrities on magazines and say, ‘OMG! These celebs are so fake’. And now, when I’m showing the real me, without any filters or make-up, they troll me. The hypocrisy is damning. Today, there are 10,000 beauty apps that can change the way you look, but I’m proud of my body and like to show myself just the way I am. When I was in my teens, I weighed nearly 100 kilos. I have lost more than 50 kilos since then — that’s like knocking off a whole human being! When you lose so much weight, there will naturally be stretch marks. I’m proud of them; they’re a symbol of my struggle. Celebrities aren’t perfect, we have our flaws and imperfections too and it’s high time people realise that.

It must be tough to deal with all the hate you receive online...
Look, these people are trolling you hiding behind some username; you don’t even know whether they’re real or fake. They have no profile pictures. They are just out there typing some sh*t. How can you take such people seriously? In fact, I have only sympathy for such people. Maybe there’s something terribly wrong with their lives. Most of them are probably frustrated in real life and can’t do much about it. So, they suppress all that anger and then vent it out on social media.

Recently, a clip of yours where you said you’re getting married to Salman Khan went viral... What’s the story there?
(Laughs!) Let me clarify. I was asked in an interview what is the best rumour I’d like to spread about myself, and what better rumour than this? There’s nothing more to it.

Funnily, many have this fixation about you and Salman Khan. Many Salman fans even call you bhabhi...
Well, most of those comments stopped after I did Hate Story (laughs!). Thank God for that!

Thanks to your bold avatar you mean? Tell us about that transition from the nice-girl-next-door to a siren...
People generally have this habit of stereotyping you. When I did Veer, people started saying things like ‘Oh, what a pretty girl or a princess’, etc. But it was not doing anything for me. After that, I danced to the song Character Dheela Hai and acted in Housefull 2, but nothing really changed. Hate Story was not an easy decision to make because I didn’t know whether people would accept me in such a bold role. But it turned out to be one of my biggest films. Public perception changes with every film. That’s the best part of being an actor. The plan is to look different in every film.

And yet, some people still say you look like Katrina Kaif...
Oh, not just Katrina. People have said that I look like Jacqueline (Fernandez), Preity Zinta, Pooja Bhatt... I guess I have a universal face (laughs!). There are of course, some stupid people who say stupid things (like fake Katrina), but I don’t pay attention to them.