It would be folly to assume that an actor’s early years in the industry are about signing multiple projects, in a bid to make his/her presence felt. Alaya F would agree. Four years into showbiz, the actor has a strong sense of clarity about the kind of films she wants to front. “My journey over the next few films is to figure out how to appeal to audiences that aren’t urban,” she begins.

In 2020, the actor forayed into movies with Jawaani Jaaneman, a London-set comedy about a man who understands his responsibilities after meeting his estranged daughter. She followed it up with the psychological thriller, Freddy (2022), and Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat. She is aware that her movies so far, with their varying degrees of success, have familiarised her only to a niche set of cine-goers.

“Most of my films so far have catered to an urban audience. If I go to Mumbai, Delhi, or Bengaluru, I will be asked for a picture by a lot of people. But if I take a flight and go [to a tier-2] town, nobody will know who I am,” she states matter-of-factly.

Alaya understands that to climb the ladder of success, her filmography will have to include a fair share of mainstream entertainers. That is where U-Turn, also starring Priyanshu Painyuli, comes into the picture. She believes that the Ekta Kapoor-backed venture — a remake of the 2018 Kannada supernatural thriller of the same name — is her first “massy” offering. But is doing a remake a smart move, when the audience has rejected several of them in the past few months?

“I have enjoyed many remakes. Also, I think U-Turn is an adaptation rather than a remake. Arif [Khan, director] has brought his own take to the story. [Even if you’ve seen the original], you’ll be surprised at many points in the film, and will not be able to predict what happens in the end. At the end of the day, all art is inspired by other art. If it’s good content, how does it matter whether it is a remake, an adaptation, or an original?”