Nora Fatehi, who has created a special place for herself in the film industry, recalled the struggles she faced with her accent and body language during her initial years in showbiz.

While talking to BBC Asian, she said, “Whatever opportunities I have had have been very last-minute, and thankfully I was prepared. I remember staying locked up in my room and watching stuff on TV while working on my Hindi. I wouldn’t party or make boyfriends like the other girls. I realised in my second month in India that I needed to tone down the Canadian accent, tone down my body language, and work on my Hindi. I missed out on my brother’s wedding, his birthday, everything. So many people were like, ‘Do you want to be like the next Katrina Kaif’?” 

She further added, “I came at a time when Katrina Kaif was taking over, and we don’t look that different. So, I wasn’t insecure about looking like an outsider. I’m not Caucasian; I’m not a white girl. At the end of the day, I’m a North African Moroccan woman, and a lot of Moroccan girls look Indian, and a lot of Indian girls look Moroccan. We share a lot of genetics.”

The 31-year-old, known for Dilbar (Satyamev Jayate; 2018), O Saki Saki (Batla House; 2019), Garmi (Street Dancer; 2020), Manike (Thank God; 2022), however, added that she worked on her Hindi and wanted to be prepared for whatever opportunity came her way: “Most of the projects I got were very last-minute. I knew I could only get one opportunity, and if that did not work, I’d be out of the game.”