Bollywood seems to be getting back into the groove. Shoots are on in full swing, actors are ready to step out, and among the first crop of people to do it was Sara Ali Khan. She’d been shooting for her next, Atrangi Re, alongside Akshay Kumar and Dhanush, just before the lockdown was announced in 2020, and she got back to it right after the restrictions were lifted.

Talking about it, she says, “Of course there are restrictions, everybody has to sanitise regularly, wear masks. Two days before the lockdown in March 2020, I was in Varanasi shooting. Every moment of the lockdown, I was praying to go back on set!” The 25-year-old, recently spotted in Agra with Kumar, shooting for the film, adds, “Shiddat hai, longing thi, maheenon ghar pe band reh kar. The passion with which we make films stands the test of Coronavirus, small screen or big screen.”

Khan, who entered Bollywood with Kedarnath (2018), has already seen a lot in her career. While she has been close to the industry due to her lineage, how different is Bollywood now that she is a part of it? Khan says, “It’s a tricky question, everything changes when you’re inside. The one thing I will tell you is I am very lucky and privileged to be in this industry. I’ve forgotten what it is like to not be a part of it.”

Asked if there’s any advice she follows in her life or career, she says it’s what her mother, actor Amrita Singh says. “Everything I do comes from my mother, whether it’s styling or films. But the irony is she has told me, 'Listen as your mother, I can tell you what I think, but ultimately the only thing you have to rely on is conviction'. All has to come from an honest space, and that’s the mantra to life, I feel,” she adds.

When she had signed her first Aanand L Rai-directed venture earlier this year, Sara Ali Khan didn't have the faintest idea that she would be shooting for Atrangi Re in such unusual circumstances. Two schedules and a lockdown later, the actor is glad to report to the shoot of the Akshay Kumar and Dhanush starrer. "I won't deny that it's difficult to be on [the floors] now. But eventually, I was relieved to return to the sets [after a break]. Maintaining social distance, wearing masks and adhering to [safety protocols] have changed the way we function, but the passion is the same," says Khan, who kicked off the third schedule in Mumbai last week.

Rai had just begun the first leg of shooting in Varanasi in March when the team had to call time on the project due to the Coronavirus pandemic-induced lockdown. The unit finally reunited in October for a stint in Chennai. "Now, the last and the longest schedule is left," she adds.

The lockdown may be viewed as a hindrance for Khan, who, in her third year in the movies, is eager to make a mark. But she believes that the period taught her life lessons. "Sitting at home for nine months can be difficult for someone as ambitious as me, but there's a learning in everything. I used to have 500 things on my to-do list, believing that [achieving them] will make me happy. The lockdown made me realise that waking up every morning with my mother [Amrita Singh] makes me happy," she says.

HINDUSTAN TIMES (March 18, 2020)

Bollywood actor Sara Ali Khan’s much publicised visit to the Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, has drawn the ire of local pandits. The actor was in Varanasi for the shooting of Atrangi Re when she visited the Kashi Vishwanath temple and participated in the Ganga aarti on Sunday. Her mother, actor Amrita Singh was with her.

The Kashi Vikas Samiti has now raised objections to the actor’s visit on the grounds that Khan is a non-Hindu. Chandra Shekhar Kapoor, the secretary of the Samiti, said, “The actor’s visit to the temple is against traditions and established norms. It also raises questions on the security of the temple when there is a sign board clearly stating that the entry of ‘non-Hindus’ is prohibited.”

He said some priests had violated norms because they had perhaps got “a handsome dakshina” and free publicity. Khan’s visit was highly publicised because the actor herself uploaded a video on her social media account in which she gave her fans a tour of the ‘Banaras ki gali’ leading up to the temple and is seen showing the various shops along the lane. The Kashi Vikas Samiti has now demanded a probe into the actor’s visit and action against those responsible.

Local pandits and seers are also upset over Khan attending the Ganga aarti and entering the Kashi Vishwanath temple. “Though we appreciate her interest in the Hindu religion but the fact remains that she is a Muslim and should not have participated in the rituals. For her, all this could be ‘interesting and exciting’ but for us, it is a matter of religious piety,” said Rakesh Mishra, a priest. He added that Khan would be known by the religion of her father, Saif Ali Khan, who is a Muslim.

Another priest Amarnath Bajpai, however, defended the actor and said that she was accompanied by her mother, Amrita Singh, who is a devout Hindu. A local tour operator Siddhu Tiwari, said that it was the behaviour of some ‘close-minded people’ who were raising objections on the issue. “Anyone can visit a temple if they believe in the deity. The ‘Ganga aarti’ is attended by thousands of foreigners who are non-Hindus. People are only looking for publicity by making an issue out of this,” he said.

We tried to contact Khan for a response, but she remained unavailable for a comment.

After Saif Ali Khan made a statement that he was never ‘an absentee father’, daughter Sara Ali Khan says he has ‘always been a great dad’ to his kids
Prashant Singh (HINDUSTAN TIMES; March 13, 2020)

Right from the start, she has been quite an open book — vis-à-vis her professional as well as personal life. In fact, since her debut film itself, Sara Ali Khan has spoken about how she is proud to have been “raised by a single mother (Amrita Singh)” and that she “loves her so much”. But clearly, the young actor has an extremely strong bond with her father, Saif Ali Khan as well (remember her much-talked-about outing with him on Koffee With Karan?)

A few days back, Saif spoke — in an interview — about not being an “absentee father”. He said: “I may not have been responsible at various times while in my 20s, but I’ve always been there and ready to do the best that I can do at that time for my kids (Sara and her younger brother, Ibrahim). I have never felt like an absentee father.”

Ask Sara about Saif’s statement and she says: “I know my father very well. Dad is like me, so he says what he is thinking at that particular point. He never really says things with any ulterior motive.” At the same time, the Kedarnath (2018) actor doesn’t leave an opportunity to call him a “great father”. “I love my mother a lot. I think when you have a lot of time to show a feeling or emotion, it’s easier. Mum is a single mother and I am everything I am because of her. But she has every day to show how much she loves me. I don’t live with my father so, I haven’t felt that [emotion from his side],” she says.

Sara adds: “The only thing that I know about dad is that he has always been a great father. He has always been there without even living with us. So, I think he deserves a special hug, and love from me for never making me feel that he doesn’t live with me because he was, and is always just a phone call away. And that’s really comforting.”

Workwise, after Love Aaj Kal, Sara is busy with the modern-day adaptation of Coolie No. 1 [with Varun Dhawan] and Aanand L Rai’s Atrangi Re [co-starring Akshay Kumar and Dhanush]. “I feel extremely lucky that after doing a romantic film with Imtiaz [Ali] sir, now, I will team up with Aanand ji [L Rai; filmmaker]. I am a huge fan of the way he depicts women in his films. And then, I have an out-and-out commercial entertainer with Varun [Dhawan] and David sir [Dhawan; director]. I am truly privileged,” she says.

Reel, Real love not the same
Apart from her work, Sara has always been in the news about her love life as well. Interestingly, she has been linked with her Kedarnath and Love Aaj Kal [LAK] co-stars, Sushant Singh Rajput and Kartik Aaryan respectively. Ask her if such chemistry ever spills from reel to real life, and she says: “I don’t think it ever does. I’m not a skilled actor and don’t have much experience, so when I’m on set, the only thing I have is conviction and honesty vis-à-vis my character. So, there’s no scope for Sara to come into my work or vice versa. When I step out of my van, I am a different person, and I’m proud of that.”

MUMBAI MIRROR (March 6, 2020)

Sara Ali Khan doesn’t think she grew up in a family of stars, and says she doesnt considers herself to be one either. “My parents are actors, but I don’t think I have grown up in the family of stars. Father, for instance, has always been very particular about education and my mother is the flagbearer of humility. She believes putting your head down and letting your work speak for yourself,” Sara said.

Born to actors Saif Ali Khan and Amrita Singh, Sara insists she never had much exposure to Bollywood. “I don’t really think I come from a family of stars. I don’t look at myself as a star,” she added.

Looking back at her school years, she said she was a mischievous student who played practical jokes on everyone. “One prank I remember was dropping glue on fan blades which spilled all over the class when switched on. I almost got suspended for this because my principal kept asking why I did this, and I had no answer to it,” she relayed with a chuckle.

Asked about her equation with Saif’s actress-wife Kareena Kapoor, Sara replied: “I admire Kareena Kapoor and her work. She’s a professional who always gives preference to work. Her style of working is something I would want to imbibe from her.”

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; February 12, 2020)

Sara Ali Khan will soon be seen in Love Aaj Kal, a franchise, the earlier part of which featured her father Saif Ali Khan. As she teams up with Kartik Aaryan for the Imtiaz Ali-directorial, the actress points out the distinct working style of the filmmaker, her equation with her costar and the relationship she shares with the paparazzi. Read on…

You said that you were extremely nervous at the trailer launch. Was the fact that your father was a part of Love Aaj Kal about a decade ago, one of the reasons why you felt so. Obviously, the expectations would be high...
I don’t think my father has much to do with it. I don’t think this film is a sequel because it is showing what love ‘aaj’ is, which is not the same as love was 11 years ago (when the Saif-starrer released). This is exactly why we haven’t changed the name of the film.

At the trailer launch, I was just nervous because I have been given a lot of love and acceptance from the audience and the media, even before I necessarily deserved it. So, with each film and each Friday, the nerves and the pressure will ascend. I need to keep proving to people and myself that I am worthy of that kind of love.

This is your third film and your first with Imtiaz Ali, who is known for the way he portrays romance in his films. What do you think sets him apart as a director?
Before every scene, directors make you understand exactly what the character is feeling. What Imtiaz sir does is that he actually makes you feel that way. I am not a method actor and I believe in understanding what the character is going through, and then interpret it. He would make me feel like Zoe (my character) on the sets. There were days where I would be crying for the whole day. After pack-up, he would ask me how I was feeling, and I would tell him, ‘low’, and he would appreciate that. I used to find it strange. One day I called my mom (Amrita Singh) and told her that Imtiaz sir was really weird, and she explained to me that there was nothing wrong with him.

How difficult was it to portray Zoe on screen? Could you associate with the character?
Zoe and I share the same internal chord. For us, career is very important. She, too, lives with a single mother, who influences her to a large degree. Other than these two similarities, I think there were only differences. She is a Delhi girl, and gets affected by people, unlike me. She is far more aggressive, whereas, I am more relaxed. I don’t think or approach life like Zoe. I wouldn’t be able to pull off the character without Imtiaz sir’s guidance. He has cleverly showcased her inner conflict, which includes finding a balance between love, life and career. On the set, Sara and Kartik (Aaryan) were not working together, but Zoe and Veer were. As a co-actor, of course, Kartik was helpful, with every take he would do something different, and so one would react differently in every scene. He is also a humble actor, so he doesn’t make you conscious.

You are well-spoken and you generally express your thoughts eloquently. Much like your dad Saif Ali Khan, who is also extremely articulate. In this respect, would you say that he’s had a strong influence on you?
I think what people like about me is that I am candid and have no-filters. It is a combination of the fact that my mother is like that and she has brought me up in that manner. My education plays an important role, too, as it has made me confident and eloquent, and I would like to thank my father because he’s encouraged and funded it. Other than that, I am also scared of faking things. I am a fun-loving person and like to have real conversations. If I pretend to be someone else, then it would not be fun for anybody. And you would see through it, because we are manjha hua Bollywood people. I cannot con you successfully, so why try? I’d rather be myself.

How has your life been when it comes to love…kal and aaj?
I am very moody when it comes to love. There are days when I wake up feeling like a hardcore romantic, and then, there are days where I feel blah about it. I don’t believe in doing things half-heartedly. When I fall in love, people will know about it. As far as love ‘kal’ (in the past) is concerned, I don’t think that it has happened the way that it should have. For me, when love actually happens, it will be truly and madly!

On Karan Johar’s chat show you said that you would like to date Kartik Aaryan. Soon after, you ended up working with him. Also, at some point along the way, there were rumours about the two of you dating…
Koffee With Karan is not a show where you should be quoted for speaking the gospel truth. It is not the place that you go to for proposals or revelations. You go there to make fun statements that will trend. In my case, it did. As far as Kartik is concerned, I think we share great chemistry and camaraderie. He is a giving co-actor. He understands that the better he is, the better I will be, and eventually, the scene and the film will turn out better. In the end, we have the same goals.

You are very cordial with the paparazzi and always make time to click selfies with your fans. Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the attention?
This recognition is what you work for, right? So, you cannot shy away from it. This is audience’s love. I see this young girl sitting at her balcony in the building next to my gym, she calls out my name every day. The other day I left the gym, and as per routine, I looked up, and the girl wasn’t there. And I missed that. There are times where I am running late or rushing for a meeting, but it doesn’t matter. I make it a point to bring a smile to the faces of my fans. I am working for it, so what’s the point in not enjoying it..

Your brother Ibrahim doesn’t feel as comfortable with the paps as you do. Does all the media attention bother him?
Ibrahim feels exactly what I felt earlier. He feels that he is being photographed when he hasn’t earned it. I remember feeling the same before Kedarnath released. For a child or a young person, who has not done anything to get this attention, it is disorienting. Ibrahim realises that he is being photographed because he is Saif Ali Khan’s son. He doesn’t want attention like this, just the way I didn’t. I didn’t want to be a star kid getting papped outside a gym. Ibrahim’s reaction comes from a slight sense of displacement. I am sure Taimur will also deal with this when he grows up.

Vijay Ganguly on choreographing Yaar Bina Chain from Saaheb, which was directed by his father, for Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; February 9, 2020)

During the shoot of Saaheb (1985), Vijay Ganguly, then five, would run about the set as his director father Anil Ganguly filmed Yaar Bina Chain with the movie's leads Anil Kapoor and Amrita Singh. Almost 35 years later, in a quirk of fate, Vijay found himself being appointed to choreograph the rehashed version of the song for Ayushmann Khurrana-starrer, Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan. "Initially, the team, including director Hitesh Kewalya, simply told me I would be working on a remix of Bappi da's [Lahiri] song, and that they were sure I would be excited about it. As soon as the track began, I was taken aback. I thought, what are the odds that of all the choreographers and all the songs, this one would come to me?" exclaims the choreographer, talking about the song that releases on Tuesday.

In keeping with the theme of the same-sex love story, the track—now titled Arrey pyaar kar le—has Khurrana romancing his on-screen love interest, Jitendra Kumar. "Since the song didn't have [the usual] guy-girl dynamics, there wasn't much that we could [use] from the original. So, we decided to [reference] the period instead. When my dad made the film, the unit went to Ballard Pier, used water, and employed the star filter that made water [droplets] look like light. So, we used the same filter for our song to [evoke a sense of nostalgia]. We also made Ayushmann recreate a step of Anil sir." He adds that Khurrana, delighted to learn of the coincidence, urged him to invite his mother and actor sister Rupali Ganguly to the shoot.


Vijay Ganguly with Bappi Lahiri on the set

MUMBAI MIRROR (October 26, 2019)

Shah Rukh Khan wants people to have faith in the power of dreams. Talking on the sidelines of an event in Delhi, the 53-year-old actor was quoted as saying, "Some of the things that you don't think about, will happen to you and they are the best things of life. You just don't know it yet. I don't want to show off, but I'm genuinely a dream come true. I'm a lower middle class boy without his parents bound to the city of glamour and become a movie star. The world has showered me with their love. This happens in only dreams, but I never thought of it.”

SRK went on to add that he never thinks of himself as a star in Delhi but must behave like one sometimes. "It bores me to be a star that way. I love my job and promise to everybody that as Ajay Bijli and Sanjeev Kumar Bijli keep on making cinema theatres, I'll keep on making movies to fill them," he shared.

When asked about the first time he saw himself on the big screen, Shah Rukh said it was the rushes of 1992 film Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, directed by Aziz Mirza, at the R K Studios. "I found myself so ugly. I had such bad hair. I was doing such bad acting in front of Nana Patekar, Amrita Singh and Juhi Chawla. I took the late 4.15 am flight ticket that our producers used to get for us at 25 per cent off and went to the airport, thinking I can't work in films. Aziz and Juhi convinced me that it's not that bad. The final cut would be better. Just like Ajay Bijli lied and got Yes Boss to play at this theatre, those two lied to me. I never looked better, I looked just the same," he recalled.

Sara Ali Khan on inheriting her mother’s kind heart, her father’s sharp mind, and what she means to achieve as an actor
Ashwini Deshmukh (DNA; May 12, 2019)

When was the moment when you realised you wanted to be an actor?
Honestly, there wasn’t any moment of epiphany as such. I remember singing and dancing to Bollywood music when I was around four or five. I used to mimic ads at home. When we went for admission in a school, mom said: Ab aap adab se, tameez se kuchh boliye. I went ahead and sang, Dama dam mast kalandar. Everyone understood that I was a crack child. As far as I can remember, this is what I always wanted to do.

Your parents separated when you were a kid. Do you carry any scars?
No.

How was it for you as a kid?
I was a kid, who understood that her mother and father were happier that way. I can’t change how they are when they’re together. But you must know the option. I could have been brought up in an extremely unhappy, unstable and toxic household. But today, I live with the world’s best mother in the most secure, happiest and healthiest space ever. People even used to ask me, ‘Don’t you miss the idea of a Sunday family lunch?’ Every day after the gym it’s like a girl’s day out for mom and me. Every night is like a pajama party. I love it.

And as far as my father is concerned, he’s never ever let me feel that we don’t live together. He’s always a phone call away. He’s always available for dinner, for coffee. So why would I feel like that? I have two happy homes with two happy parents. That’s a win-win situation as opposed to a massive loss for everyone.

Q. Who are you closer to – your mother or father?
Mom. She’s my whole world. I can’t function without her. From should I wear this, how did you like the trailer to is this boy good enough...? Her opinion matters in everything. I’m a homely mother’s girl. Mom and I are hysterical together. We’re just a riot at home. People have a blast looking at us.

Which of your father’s films do you like the most?
Hum Tum is a film that I enjoy. A touch of the urbane, suave and finesse… that’s what dad brought on the screen. Objectively, no actor since has been able to do that.

What about your mother Amrita Singh?
I didn’t watch mom’s films while growing up because she wasn’t shooting then. But recently, I’ve watched a lot of her films. I’ve watched her songs as well. She was never a dancer but if you see Mere Pyaar Ki Umar (Waris), she’s so cute. She’s as spontaneous as a human being too. From Betaab to 2 States, there’s a consistent spontaneity and innocence. That’s because she’s a child at heart. She’s the most genuine and most compassionate person. And she’s real. So much so that be it her anger or her irritation… it’s all out in the open.

The best you have inherited from your parents...
I have my father’s mind and my mother’s heart. That makes me a cool chick. What I don’t have, I will cultivate. If I can conduct myself with the intelligence, the worldliness and the knowledge that my father has, and if I can sleep the way mom sleeps, I’ll be good to go. She doesn’t have a single blob on her conscience. While I already have a couple of them. So I’ll have to work hard to be the way she is.

What do you have to say about your stepmom Kareena Kapoor Khan?
I’ve been an avid Kareena Kapoor fan. So even today there’s an element of surprise that Poo from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (K3G) is my stepmother. People say I willed it to happen. I must have. After Sridevi, I’m a Kareena Kapoor fan. As far as our personal equation is concerned, I was clear from the beginning that anyone who makes my father happy — not specifically Kareena — makes me happy. Anyone he loves, I love.

I don’t need to know who that person is. It’s about my father. Having said that, Kareena and I became friends and have a healthy equation. It’s also easy for me to love and accept Kareena because I have a mom, who makes me feel everything’s fine. She got me ready for my father’s wedding with Kareena. So when you have a mother saying, ‘Yeh earrings mat peheno, doosri chandbali peheno’... and if that’s the vibe at home, then you’re comfortable enough to take anything on.

From 96 kilos to the svelte star you are…
Yes. I’m 55 kilos now. I don’t relate to that girl anymore. I look at my past pictures and go, ‘What the hell was I thinking?’ I’m a foodie. So, it wasn’t a joke to lose weight.