Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; November 14, 2019)

After stepping into Bollywood with Student Of The Year 2, Tara Sutaria will be seen with the original ‘student’ from the franchise, Sidharth Malhotra, in the upcoming film Marjaavaan. While she plays the role of a speech-impaired girl in the film, offscreen, Tara loves singing and wants to pursue a career in music. In a candid chat with BT, she spoke about her Bollywood journey, singing aspirations and rumours of a link-up with Aadar Jain. Excerpts:

Sidharth Malhotra and you hail from the same on-screen school — Saint Teresa College (from Student Of The Year) — and have the same mentor, Karan Johar. Did that make it easy to bond?
Honestly, Sidharth and I rarely spoke about Student Of The Year (SOTY) on set. In fact, we had a lot of other things in common. Both of us are not from the industry and would talk about our families and siblings. Sid would tell me how he has changed as a person, since the time he joined the industry. And I told him that I wasn’t sure if I will change because I am extremely shy and reserved. I used to ask him about how he deals with filmi parties as I am new to the industry and feel scared at these events. He would share his personal experiences, and we got to know each other during the making of Marjaavaan. We tried to understand each other, as the film is very intense and we had to portray that kind of chemistry. Someone also told him that I sing well, so he asked me to sing a few lines. He loves music, and we connected over that, too.

Like your debut film, you are once again sharing screen space with a female costar; this time with Rakul Preet Singh...
(Cuts in) Ananya (Panday) and I had a lot more in common. We were making our debut together and were huge fans of the franchise (SOTY); both of us also have the star signs — Scorpio. On the other hand, Rakul (Preet Singh) has done so much work. I didn't know her at all, and we had very few scenes together. In our limited interaction, we spoke mostly about food. She would give tips about replacing ingredients that will help me make healthier choices. She was doing two shifts in a day and still wasn’t exhausted on the sets. It was interesting to see how she managed it all.

While Sidharth and Riteish Deshmukh have shared screen space in Ek Villain (2014), this is the first time you are working with Riteish…
Yes, but I did not have many shots with him. My character dies when his character comes into focus. Our scenes were mostly shot in the night. I remember him crawling on his knees as he played a vertically-challenged man. He had many funny stories to share and was very witty, which would lighten up the mood during the late-night shoot.

Milap Zaveri, who has directed Marjaavaan, is known for his sex comedies. Are you a fan of the genre? Which films of his have you seen?
I haven’t seen any sex comedies. I remember that he had shown me the trailer of Mastizaade (2016). I don't think I will ever do a sex comedy; it’s just not my thing.

Considering the fact that you are a trained singer, will we see you singing soon?
I wanted to be a singer; this (acting) was not a part of my plan. Whenever I see a photo of mine or read articles about me, I still can’t believe it. I am already promoting my second film and shooting my third… all of it feels like a dream. While this year, I focused on acting, next year, I will also look for opportunities in music. I want singing to be a huge part of my career next year. I idolise Barbra Streisand and Beyoncé, and am very old school when it comes to music and like 50s music. I want to see myself as a singer very soon.

Post SOTY 2, are you still in touch with Karan Johar? Do you consult him when you make your career choices? Also, you had got along well with Tiger Shroff. Do you manage to catch up with him?
I will always be in touch with Karan. He is very special to me. He calls us (actors of SOTY 2) his babies. If I need advice, especially when it is related to the industry, he is my go-to person. Even if he is busy, he makes sure that he is there for us. As far as Tiger is concerned, I have a special place in my heart for him. He is my first co-star and the first person with whom I could share everything. We will be friends forever. We two have a lot of things in common, and have lots to talk about whenever we catch up.

There is a strong buzz about you dating Aadar Jain. Do you want to clear the air?
I met Aadar at Karan’s (Johar) Diwali party last year. Well, he is very special to me, and we do go out a lot. We enjoy the same things. We have a similar taste in music and enjoy bingeing on good food. We also get photographed together, and I am fine with it as there is nothing to hide. We are very fond of each other and like each other's company a lot.

Like your debut film, your third film, the remake of RX 100, has an industry kid — Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan — stepping into Bollywood...
Yes, I am excited about it. Ahan is great to work with. The film a remake of RX 100, but our roles are very different from those in the original. We will be announcing the title of the film and releasing the first look very soon. We will start shooting the film in Mussoorie on the day that Marjaavaan releases. I had shot SOTY 2 there as well, so I will feel like a local when I am there (laughs!).