Actor Sara Ali Khan was enjoying the positive feedback she received for her performance in filmmaker Aanand L Rai’s Atrangi Re (2021)before returning to work on filmmaker Laxman Utekar’s next project alongside actor Vicky Kaushal. 

Rai’s film gave her an equally meaty role — if not more — as her co-star, Dhanush. In contrast, in two of her previous films, Simmba (2018) and Coolie No 1 (2020), it was all about the hero. Ask her what made her say yes to those films, knowing her role wasn’t big enough, and she says, “For me, the role and screen time both matter. Of course, having done Aanand ji’s film, I am greedy. I want more meaty parts. But I want to do all kinds of films, too. Today, if Rohit Shetty (director of Simmba) comes to me with another commercial film where he needs me to do another Aankh Maare, I will do it!”

But the one thing she says she wants to stay away from is remakes. She had starred in Coolie No 1, which was a remake of the 1995 movie starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor. “No more remakes for me right now! I will star in the remake of Atrangi,” Khan laughs.

Talking about how she believes in versatility and how that makes her take up different kinds of films, the 26-year-old says, “The favourite thing about my job is that ek din main (actor) Ranveer Singh ke saath high energy gaane karungi, aur doosre din (actor) Dhanush ke saath [intense] scene karungi, Varun (Dhawan, actor) ke saath comedy! That’s why I do what I do so that I can do everything.” 

However, she confesses that as an actor, she has definitely become “greedier for meaty parts”, especially since her last release. “After seeing the nuances with which Aanand ji directed me wherein he told me: ‘Your character has zubaan pe gaali aur aankhon mein nami chahiye’... such things are exciting,” says Khan. However, she quickly adds that she doesn’t mind song-dance routines either.