Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; January 28, 2020)

In her debut film, Jawaani Jaaneman, Alaya F will be seen sharing screen space with senior actors like Saif Ali Khan and Tabu. The confident young actress is excited to step into the industry and see her dream come true. In a candid chat with BT, she talks about the nepotism debate, stepping into the silver screen, the relationship she shares with her mother, Pooja Bedi, and more. Excerpts:

From dreaming about joining movies to landing a role in a film with Saif Ali Khan, and now gearing up for its release — has it sunk in that you are all set to make your big Bollywood debut?
It is all so magical! It’s surreal to see yourself on big screen. When I saw the film for the first time, I told myself that I would need some time to process this. I enjoyed watching myself on big screen so much that I have already seen the film thrice!

Did you always dream of becoming an actress? How did you prepare yourself to achieve your goal?
I have been prepping for the last four years. For two years, I studied direction and acting in New York. When I returned to Mumbai, I took training in acting, diction, gymnastics, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and dancing, which included forms like contemporary, Bollywood, Kathak, etc.

What’s the feeling of working with a senior and experienced actor like Saif Ali Khan in your first film?
Saif is very smart and witty. You can talk to him about anything and everything. He has been very supportive and is a very giving actor.

At the time of my solo shots, he would be there on the set to give me cues to better my performance. The first time I faced the camera for this film, it was for a scene with him. It was a dialogue-heavy, seven-page long scene, which was a six-minute shot. Nitin sir (Kakkar, director) asked me to do it in a single, continuous shot. It was a crucial scene where I reveal that I am Saif ’s daughter. I was nervous, but it went off smoothly without rehearsing the scene with Saif. The two of us shared a great comfort level.

You hail from a film family. Did you seek support and advice from your mother Pooja Bedi and grandfather Kabir Bedi?
I made a conscious decision to not involve my family members too much in my film journey. Family members tend to get emotional. So, I felt it is better not to mix the two. I told my mother right at the beginning that I would only reach out to her for advice. I am happy that she understood and supported me. Likewise, I go and seek my nana’s (Kabir Bedi) opinion, too. I like making my own decisions. I remember showing my nana my acting videos from my classes, and he would give his perspective on them. I grew extremely close to my nana during my process of becoming an actress.

Was your mom impressed with your training and prep? The way the industry functioned when she entered showbiz was quite different…
She was impressed. She has seen me slog for 14 hours straight, hopping from one class to another. She once told me about how she got her first film. She said that she was 10 minutes late for a meeting, and so she called the director to inform him about the delay and apologise for it. He was really surprised. He was so impressed with her sense of discipline that he cast her in the film without a second thought. That was the time when actors used to come on sets many hours late. Bollywood has changed so much since then. There are so many female-centric films today, and everything is contentdriven. It’s a competitive world out there, and everyone is well prepared. If you are not up to the mark then someone else, who is more prepared, will take your place. Everyone is so dispensable now. I firmly believe ki agar kaam karoge toh kaam milega. I love competition; it keeps everyone on their toes and motivated. You see your contemporaries and learn from their achievements and mistakes, too. It’s interesting to see the paths each one (contemporaries) takes. Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra (Jonas) have inspired me a lot. They are so talented and do such diverse work.

Though you are yet to make your debut, you are already popular on social media. Did you think of that as a stepping-stone to a career in Bollywood?
No, at that point of time, I wanted to be a director and not an actor. So, it had nothing to do with that. In fact, I went to New York to study direction, but later I changed my mind and enrolled in acting classes. When I came back to India and started training here, I was almost disconnected from social media. I lost interest in it. Now that I am an actress, I am making an effort to get back and be more active on social media. However, it is difficult to get back into it once you’ve cut it out of your life. I know it is important, but I don’t take it too seriously.

Recently, while talking about nepotism, you said, ‘Even in our struggle, we are privileged’. It looks like you are ready to take the debate head-on and address it.
Of course! I expected these questions to come my way. However, I feel it’s great that a subject like this is being talked about. It is a reality, and there is no need to run away from it. Addressing it sensitively and acknowledging it is the most important part. For me, no matter what people say, I am still going to act. I am going to do what I love. Hopefully, one day I will be good enough and no one will consider me a product of nepotism. Look at actors like Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor... people don’t look at them as privileged star kids, because they are so good at what they do. Today, we see a lot of talent on the rise in Bollywood. We have star kids coming in, plus, there are talented actors from outside the industry, who are getting great opportunities, too. With more talent around, there are better opportunities and more films are being made.

Earlier in the interview, you said that you share a great bond with your mother. Your parents got divorced when you were really young. How has your relationship with your parents evolved over the years?
My mother allowed me to be my own person. She encouraged me to have an opinion and voice it loud and clear. My mother and I are rarely on the same page, and that makes for good conversations and debates. We look at things differently. I share a great equation with my father (Farhan Furniturewala), too. Both my parents have been there for me constantly and consistently. My dad is extremely excited ever since I told him that I wanted to get into movies. He used to send me newspaper clippings about films under pre-production and ask me to audition for them. Ever since I came back from New York, I spent a lot more time with him. He knows nothing about movies (laughs!). My mother lives in Goa now, while my brother Omar is in Los Angeles, where he is studying business management. Since I live alone in Mumbai, I tend to see my father a lot more. I share a great equation with my stepmother (Laila) and stepbrother Zaan. I hate calling him my stepbrother; he is my brother. He is just four years old and is very cute. I also share a good equation with my mom’s partner (Maneck Contractor). He, too, is excited about my film debut. A few days ago, we went to a multiplex to watch a movie, and when we saw a poster of Jawaani Jaaneman, we all started clicking pictures with it.