The actor talks about his co-stars Zaira Wasim and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, his upcoming film The Sky Is Pink and more...
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; October 1, 2019)

In his upcoming film The Sky Is Pink, Farhan Akhtar will be seen romancing his Dil Dhadakne Do co-star Priyanka Chopra Jonas once again. Here he talks about his offscreen equation with the actress, plans to crash in Nick Jonas’ music concert and why he hopes Zaira Wasim will return to movies. Excerpts from the conversation:

From directing Priyanka in Don (2006) and Don 2 (2011) to teaming up with her in Dil Dhadakne Do (2015) as an actor and rekindling the chemistry on the screen once again in The Sky Is Pink, the two of you have come a long way.
The equation that we shared in the past and the friendship that we built over the years helped us to enhance our portrayal as Aditi and Niren on screen. As creative collaborators, we share a lot of trust amongst us and all this only led to enhancing our performance in the film.

She began her journey in Bollywood as an outsider; she became a star in Bollywood and now is enjoying fame in Hollywood, too. What do you have to say about her journey so far?
I am really happy for her. I am proud of her and the way her career is shaping up. I wish more power to her. I have seen her series Quantico in bits and pieces, and from what I have seen I’ve liked it.

Tell us a bit more about your equation. How was it on the sets of The Sky Is Pink?
Priyanka and I bond really well. When we were not shooting, we were just faffing around. We talk a lot about many things. Also, Priyanka loves to talk about food. The other day, she got a craving for samosas and she was like, ‘Mujhe samosay chahiye.’ She also knows that often, I am on one diet or another, and so she keeps torturing me by tempting me with all kinds of food. She is always fun to be with.

You know her for a long time, has marriage brought about any change in her or her personality?
I don’t think marriage is something that tends to change you as a person. It’s not like you get married and you become a different person. I am sure she has discovered certain things about herself emotionally. I think she is still the same, as far as our interaction goes.

Nick Jonas had dropped in on the sets of The Sky Is Pink. Have you ever seen him perform?
We met him in New Delhi. He is an extremely sweet guy. Next year they (Nick and his team) are doing some kind of a world tour (music concert). I am hoping to crash in (laughs).

This is the first time you are working with director Shonali Bose. As a filmmaker, what do you have to say about her body of work?
Shonali has worked with very talented people in the past. She has worked with Kalki (Koechlin in Margarita With A Straw) and Konkona (Sen Sharma in Amu), who are good at what they do. We (Priyanka and I) just happened to be the right people at the right place. I am really thankful that the script landed up at my doorstep. Interestingly, Shonali’s life has taken her through a similar path (as the story of the film), where she lost her child. So, she could relate to that and be very sensitive to the script. That’s the reason the Chaudharys (Aisha’s family on whose life the film is based) could also relate to her as a director.

Hypothetically, if you realised that your life is going to be cut short, what are the three things you would do right away?
Firstly, I would make a list of people who I need to call up and say thank you. Secondly, there are a lot of places in the world that I still want to visit, so I will travel to those destinations. Lastly, I would spend the last few hours or minutes of my life with my kids so that we can share some happy stories together.

Talking about kids, you play father to Zaira Wasim. What do you think of her as an actress? Did she have reservations during the shooting of the film, because it is during this project that she announced her exit from the movies?
She was as good in Dangal as she was in Secret Superstar. She is amazing in this film, too. Zaira is a supremely gifted and talented actor. I am thankful that I got to do a film with her. It’s a tough role to play. As far as the second part of your question is concerned, the thing is that what people feel and how they behave professionally are two completely different things. All of us have terrible days, but still, we go to work and perform. I had no idea what was going on inside her mind. The fact is that she was extremely professional. Whenever she was on set, it looked like she is happy being on set. When she was doing a scene, she was committed to it. That is what professional actors do. What is going on behind-the-scenes and in someone’s mind or heart is extremely difficult to tell. I don’t have a relationship with Zaira to be able to ask her these questions. If she wants to share it, it is up to her. She has consciously made a decision, and I think we should respect that. Seeing her act on screen, all I can hope for is that she changes her mind in the near future.

Did your daughters Shakya and Akira see the trailer of the film? Which of your films have they enjoyed watching?
They saw the trailer of The Sky Is Pink and liked it. They enjoyed watching Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011), Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) and Dil Dhadakne Do (2015).