Aahana Kumra talks about shooting for her first mainstream movie Khuda Haafiz
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 13, 2020)

Aahana Kumra has no qualms admitting that she was apprehensive about playing an Arab agent in Disney+ Hotstar's latest offering, Khuda Haafiz. Recounting her first meeting with director Faruk Kabir, Kumra tells us, "He was clear that this is not the cinema I am usually associated with." Known for her work in Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016) and Voot Select's Marzi, the actor is often labelled 'indie actor' — a tag that often comes up in meetings with producers. "When I was offered this role, I was told this isn't an indie film. That comment stunned me, but there is a perception that I only do independent cinema," says the actor.

"During the narration, it sunk in that this is a different universe," introspects the actor, adding that the typical Bollywood masala films were never offered to her. "People don't look at me as someone who is commercially bankable because I have never done the song-and-dance routine. There is nothing wrong in making masala films, provided it has a good story. With Khuda Haafiz, I had that satisfaction."

Walking into this world post Netflix's Betaal, Kumra admits that she suffered from a mental block. "Everyone around me was confident that I could pull it off, except me. The film had hand-to-hand combat, I didn't think I was physically strong to do the part. At one point, I almost let go of the project." The Vidyut Jammwal-starrer is a reminder that she is a shape shifting artiste who is capable of pushing herself to do more. "Faruk's faith in me pushed me to work harder. I even went through dialect training to get the Arabic twang to my Hindi."