The actor says that as a producer, she values a story more than its treatment
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; June 4, 2020)

As a producer, Anushka Sharma is not afraid to push the envelope and back edgy stories with darker narratives, something which began right from her debut production, NH10 (2015). So it came as no surprise when she chose a neo-noir subject, dealing with the underbelly of crime and politics as her production debut on the web.

“I’ve always been drawn to different kinds of things that happen around us in the world and wanted to present that through a story,” the actor tells us, adding, “(My brother) Karnesh and I always believe that content is everything. The most exciting part as a producer and as a creative person is to do films and series like Paatal Lok, which is different, clutter-breaking and progressive.”

Sharma emphasises that when it comes to backing a project, the storyline has been more important than the overall treatment. “So, we did a film like NH10 which was fierce, we also did Phillauri (2017) that is about a friendly ghost. I feel different, bold and out-of-the-box content has always been our interest,” she says.

Revealing how she decides which project to be associated with, the 32-year-old says the one common thread between everything she has produced so far is that the ideas have been “new and fresh”. She adds, “We’ve always chased unique ideas, that has been something we believed in whenever we took up a story.”

Regarding her involvement with a project as the producer, Sharma reveals she remains involved right from the ideation stage till the final product. “Sometimes, I’m physically unavailable as I’m doing so many other things at the same time. I’m involved nevertheless from the beginning to the end.”

The actor has been in lockdown with her parents and husband, cricketer Virat Kohli in Mumbai. She calls the experience “enlightening” and admits it has made her more aware of the world around.

“The current situation in the world is quite grim and unfortunate, it can make you feel helpless. But, the only thing, you realise that you can do during these times, is reach out to people as much as you can and ease someone’s load,” says the actor, who is making the most of the Coronavirus lockdown “focusing on family time and catching up on shows and films, taking care of my health and baking a bit to occupy my mind”.

Anushka Sharma on why she and Virat Kohli make for a perfect couple
Anuradha Choudhary (TIMES LIFE; September 15, 2019)

The assumption is that a married actress stops getting offers…
Yeah. If you are married, people ask, “Is she pregnant?” They love to read into something when there really isn’t anything. It’s so hard for people to believe that someone would like to take time off to be rejuvenated. You shouldn’t deny yourself that because it’s important to think fresh; then you can take the right decisions. Also, I’m not the sort who slyly talks about the films I’ve turned down. Since I don’t do that on principle, it’s conjectured that I don’t have films. Please give me some credit. I’ve been working for 10 years now.

Rumours of pregnancy keep filmmakers away...
What irks me is the clarification part. Do I need to clarify? Nahi! But then that’s how it is. Any actress, who gets married... sabke baare mein, they have said something. Someone could be wearing clothes that are loose because they are trendy. But they are said to be pregnant. It’s like a monkey on your back. You can’t do anything about it. You just ignore it.

How did you manage to keep the wedding under wraps?
We wanted to keep it genuine. We didn’t want it to be adulterated and touched by anything that would remind us we are celebrities. We were with our parents and our siblings, who have sacrificed so much for us, our closest friends, who’ve supported us through our worst. If we’d allowed it to become public in any way, we would be reminded of our public standing. We just wanted to be like two people in love. We never counted for who we were publicly when we fell in love. Our beings fell in love. We wanted to feel that purity at our wedding. That’s why we kept it so close to our hearts and away from anything that’d make us think about anything other than us.

What has it been like in the last one and a half years?
I’m married to my best friend. I’m married to my confidant. I’m married to someone I love so dearly just because of the human being that he is. You talk about being misunderstood in life and then you meet someone who understands you completely. Then the world doesn’t exist. So for him and me, when we are together, the world ceases to exist. We find solace in one another because of the similarities we share as people. Even when we were dating each other, it was the same thing. I feel extremely happy because he’s my family.

Would you recommend marriage?
Yes. But you have to find the right person and you have to marry for the right reasons. You should marry because you feel right about the person. You should marry because the person fills you up. Marriage should never be a compromise or a settlement. You have to understand that it’s a commitment. It’s a promise. And you only promise something that holds value. So, you need to find someone who understands that value and its sanctity. For me, relationships have to be pure. I have very few friends, but they are special. I want authenticity, realness. I can’t tolerate things that are fake.

They say when you are happy inside, you tend to work more…
Yeah, you feel more settled, more driven. Maybe because you are not all over the place. Your mind is like, ‘I want to be consumed by work’. And when you are with each other it’s just about each other.

Does it at times take away from work, because you only want to be with that person?
No, not at all. In fact, it rejuvenates you. You need to have that balance. There has to be a purpose in life. You can have a shared purpose or shared values you are working towards... I love being on the set. Virat’s also as passionate about his profession. The good thing is that both of us have been in professions that are demanding and in the public eye. So, we are good at helping each other deal with the pressures; making sure that the other is in a good mind-space. At times, he motivates me, at times I do. It’s like we are one.

Virat has said you’ve helped him in ‘temper management’...
He’s one of the calmest persons I’ve met. Off the field, he’s so relaxed. You can ask my friends, my team. He’s like that on field only because he’s so passionate. He’s not aggressive in real life. That’s only his demeanour on the field. He’s the most shaant person I know. I look at him and I’m like, ‘Wow! You’re so chill’.”

How different are you from each other?
Honestly, we are quite similar as people. We like doing the same things. We get such little time to be with each other that when we are together, we just want to chill. We are happy just walking around when abroad. We just want to spend that time being normal – buying water or knickknacks at the supermarket. Both of us take pleasure in these little things. I find it hard to say what ways we differ in. Of course, there are occasions when we have to go out and I do get late in getting ready. It’s not like I’m 15 minutes late. I could be just seven minutes late and he’ll be hovering around me. Then I’m like, ‘This is going to make it worse. Please go and sit down and let me get ready’.

Does he ever discuss cricket with you ever?
Yes, his mindset. For us it’s important that both of us stay in a good space, a positive mind-space. We owe that to each other.

How do you deal with trolls on social media?
Honestly, I don’t pay attention to nasty comments. Trolling says a lot about society at large and about the people who make nasty comments. The sad part is they are half-baked and uniformed opinions coming out with such great élan and confidence.

Roshni Olivera (BOMBAY TIMES; December 17, 2018)

Life has come full circle for Anushka Sharma. Exactly a decade ago, she made her debut in Bollywood opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and now, there’s Zero with him again. She is naturally excited with what she calls a “sweet coincidence”, and in a candid chat with BT, the spunky actress talks about her changing equation with Shah Rukh, her unconventional way of thinking, life post marriage and pregnancy rumours. Excerpts...

You started your career in a film with Shah Rukh Khan and now, exactly a decade later, you have a film again with him releasing around the same time. Quite a coincidence?
I realised this some time ago and I was like, ‘Oh God! It’s been 10 years!’ On December 12, 2008, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi released and now, Zero with Shah Rukh is releasing. It’s amazing! It’s like life has come full circle, which is beautiful. It’s even more special because Shah Rukh is somebody I have always admired, be it his drive, his passion or his ability to take every day as his first day. To have that kind of drive is not easy — to come on the set everyday, be willing to break your bones, hurt yourself and do anything for the sake of a film.

Zero has two actresses in lead roles, Katrina and you. What are the factors that you consider before saying ‘Yes’ to a two-heroine project?
I don’t look at it as a two-heroine film. I see it as a film that has characters in it. We usually talk about these things when it’s to do with women, we don’t ask male actors about this. I don’t dwell upon such things because I’m only concerned about what I am doing in the film. There could be times when I am offered a film where I am the only leading lady, but if the story is not interesting, I won’t do it. At the same time, even if it’s an ensemble cast, like in Dil Dhadakne Do, I would do it if I feel it’s interesting and I want to work with the director. My reason for being a part of Zero is that I am very happy with my role. Also, when there are interesting characters like Katrina’s character (in Zero), you want the right people to do the film. You are as invested in it as anybody else. So, for me, Katrina doing this film is as important as me doing it. My thinking is very unconventional; I don’t have that primitive way of thinking. And I can safely say that even the audience today has really evolved.

In a way, you started the trend of marriages in Bollywood. Tell us about your wedding (Anushka married Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli in December last year).
(Smiles!) Yes, I guess. Sonam got married, then Deepika (Padukone) and Priyanka (Chopra). Talking about my marriage, I always do things that I feel are right for me. I was 29 when I got married and it was something that just had to happen. In my head and in terms of commitment, we were already there. I am very happy with the way it all happened. We wanted it to be private and something that was truly ours. We wanted it to be like a wedding that was happening in our own home and we are glad we were able to do that. In fact, I remember that while I was shooting for Zero, I was planning my wedding.

There was a time when a leading lady’s career graph would change post marriage; there weren’t as many roles written for them. But today, we are in a new era and in this aspect, the industry and the audience have some a long way. What do you think?
This thought never even crossed my mind when I was getting married. I have never paid attention to such things. Marriage is not something that one should shy away from. I believe that if my work and what I bring to the table is important, then I have to value myself enough and not fall prey to such ideas. These are all redundant concepts. Today, women have children, they go out to do their jobs and come home. Work is a part of life and so is marriage, and you have to enjoy both. You can’t live in fear, I don’t and I have always done what I wanted to do.

Post marriage, how has life changed?
Life hasn’t changed. I was working till two days before I got married. It’s been a hectic year for me. When you are two individuals who are really busy and accomplishing a lot in your respective lives, your marriage is as normal as normal can be. That’s how it is for everybody.

Given that Virat seems comfortable in front of the camera, as we can see in his commercials, is there an actor in the making here?
That’s something you should ask him (smiles).

Coming back to you, how do you deal with constant speculation about being in the family way? What do you say when people ask you if you are expecting a baby?
I really think that all this is very dakiyanusi (regressive). When I am asked this question by anyone, it feels like some taiji is asking me that! Everyone should respect another person’s privacy. Just because you are married, it doesn’t mean that the next step is to go the family way. I got married at a young age for a reason. If you are having a baby, it is something that no one can hide. You can still hide a marriage, but not the fact that you are pregnant. People can keep speculating (about someone being pregnant), and then after four months when they realise that these stories are false, they will feel silly and say, ‘Let’s go after the other one who got married, let’s talk about her now’! This is done to generate news. There is absolutely no truth to it and it’s not something that’s being planned in the near future.

Talking about Zero, you play the challenging role of a scientist suffering from cerebral palsy. How did you go about preparing for it?
I wanted to to do full justice to it and represent it correctly. I worked on it for three months with an occupational therapist and an audiologist to understand the condition and what the physical limitations are. My character is a highly accomplished scientist. I just wanted to make sure that I am able to bring out her spirit. Himanshu (Sharma, writer) and Aanand (L Rai, director) sir did a lot of research on this and I completely followed their vision.

What was the kind of bonding on the set between Katrina, Shah Rukh and you? Also, given that you have done four films with Shah Rukh, how has your equation with him changed over the years?
In my case, it has obviously changed; maybe not for him because he has been doing this for so many years. I remember I was so awkward and raw initially. Today, I’m more confident and I feel that I can have a conversation and discuss various topics with him, which earlier, I would be scared to, wondering whether what I am saying was important enough! Shah Rukh has always been nice to me and he has made me feel comfortable. It feels like I have worked with him all through my career, because we have been doing a film together almost every other year (she has worked with him in Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017) as well).

With Katrina, this is my second film. I really respect her attitude towards her job. Sometimes, I am just amazed at the hard work she has put into her career; that's something nobody can ever take away from her. She is really easy to work with and she is a very real person. She is not pretentious at all and that's the case with me, too. In this film, we haven’t shot together, but whenever I meet her and we hang out together, it's just so easy. We can sit on a couch and not talk to each other, without feeling, ‘Oh! we have to talk to each other’. That's the comfort level between us.

At 25, you started your own production company along with your brother, and you have been making some interesting movies. Apart from understanding the business, what’s the one learning that you’ve had so far?
Everything is a learning and you are also unlearning, which is very important. We see this as a long journey, where we are creating content and generating different concepts. People understand that we are capable of finding the right talent, be it writers or directors. Also finding new talent and honing that. It’s a very cool time for us. This has taught me one thing — just follow your conviction.

Have you ever thought of directing a film?
No, there is too much happening already. I’m producing, acting, running my fashion label, so I have a lot on my plate.

You always said that you are socially awkward. Is that aspect of your personality getting better?
I’m not awkward anymore, but I am happy being alone and in my own space. Sometimes, my friends make fun of it and say that I am almost reclusive. That’s because I am doing many things and it takes up a lot of my head space. My work takes up majority of my time and the rest of the time, I spend with my loved ones.

So, how do you detach from work at the end of the day?
I leave my work outside the house, that’s a rule in my home. I am very good at compartmentalising my life and creating clear boundaries. That’s what keeps me sane, happy and peaceful.

As she reunites with her first co-star Shah Rukh Khan in Zero, Anushka charts her growth in decade- long run in Bollywood
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; December 14, 2018)

A cool coincidence” are Anushka Sharma’s choice of words to describe how her life has come a full circle. As she clocks a decade in Bollywood, she finds herself romancing her first co-star again in Zero - Shah Rukh Khan. It was, after all, opposite him that she made her debut in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008). In holding her own opposite one of the biggest superstars of Bollywood, Sharma showed then that she was an actor to watch out for.

The duo has since collaborated on two films — Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012) and Jab Harry Met Sejal (2017). While she admits to being a bundle of nerves during her first film, the actor says she has got more comfortable with Khan over the years. “When I did my first film, I was naturally apprehensive. But with every movie, I have got more comfortable working with him. And what remains constant is my admiration for him.”

In her 10-year-long run in the industry, Sharma has displayed a knack for taking on unconventional roles. her outing in the Aanand L Rai-directed drama is no exception — the actor plays a scientist suffering from cerebral palsy. She credits her brave choices to her lack of fear of failure. “I have loosened up and am more settled as an actor. Expectations don’t bog me down. If a film is good, it will do well. Also, I’m not superstitious. See, no rings,” she laughs, pointing to her fingers. Point out her frequent visits to the Babaji in Uttarakhand, and she says, “That’s spiritual.”

The past year has been eventful for the actor, who tied the knot with long-time beau cricketer Virat Kohli. “I was working right till the day I had to fly out for my wedding. I have had four releases this year, so it has been hectic,” says Sharma, adding that she wouldn’t want it any other way.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; December 5, 2018)

This month, Anushka Sharma completes 10 years in Bollywood. Coincidentally, the actress, who made her debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, marks the culmination of a decade in the movies with the superstar in Zero, which releases on December 21. Over the years, she has not only consolidated her position as an actress to reckon with, but also forayed into production halfway through her journey so far. Her ventures like NH10, Phillauri and Pari not only earned critical acclaim but also fared well at the box-office.

Post her wedding to Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, her movies like Pari and Sui Dhaaga: Made In India have broken the oft-quoted belief that marriage affects an actress’ career. Now, after impressing critics and audiences with her acting chops in the horror thriller and the romantic social drama, Anushka will be seen as a scientist suffering from cerebral palsy in the upcoming Aanand L Rai directorial.

We catch up with the star at Bandra’s Mehboob Studios for a chat. Excerpts...

This year, your films have not only been different, but your characters also have been dynamically unique and deglam..
Looks are dependent on roles. This year has been important, exciting and successful, performance-wise. Pari was appreciated, while in Sui Dhaaga, my character, Mamta, was liked by viewers. Zero also has an interesting role. Overall, 2018 has been challenging for me as a performer. As an actor, you’re trying to constantly create a different mould for yourself. In my case, I’m striving to break boundaries. I want to reinvent myself with every film. I want people to see and think that I’m doing something different than what I’ve done before. It’s important to stay relevant by doing that. I’ve always chased good roles and performances.

What were your first thoughts when Aanand L Rai offered you the role of Aafia Bhinder, a scientist with cerebral palsy, in Zero?
The film is larger than life and celebrates love as well as life beautifully. Writer Himanshu Sharma and Aanand sir share a good equation. They had a certain vision and I wanted to come on board and submit to it. My character is different, she has cerebral palsy. Himanshu and Aanand sir had done a lot of research as they knew how they wanted their character to be portrayed on screen. I surrendered to their vision completely.

Please continue... 
They had appointed an occupational therapist and an audiologist for me to learn about this condition. For me, as an actor, I understood the responsibility that it has to be explained and presented truthfully, the way it is. I spent three months to learn, research and understand how to go about this role. And that was crucial.

I met the therapist who works with kids battling cerebral palsy. The way the character was written, it wasn’t easy for us to find someone with this condition. As an actor, observing someone and then essaying the role wasn’t right. The therapist didn’t want me to observe and play the part. He wanted me to understand this condition and its restrictions. The character is brilliant and a highly-accomplished person. So, finding a person with this condition to observe and play the role accordingly was not possible. The therapist suggested that I should understand the motor skills, while the audiologist helped me with the speech.

Katrina Kaif said that she would have loved to do your role. Did you ever want to play her role — the supertsar Babita Kumari or you felt Aafia was a better part for you?
I was interested in this part since the time I heard the narration. Yes, Katrina would often tell Aanand sir and me that she wanted to essay this role. It was extremely challenging for me to play Aafia. It’s interesting because you see the spirit of her character, which is so amazing. And, of course, it also inspired me to push the envelope as an actor.

This is your fourth film with Shah Rukh Khan. How different is it each time you work with him, from Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi to Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Jab Harry Met Sejal and now Zero?
Having worked with him in four films, I’ve found an equation with Shah Rukh. This is my 10th year in the industry and I’m doing a film with him in the same month when my debut movie opposite him had released. So, it’s quite cool. I’m comfortable with him. He’s an interesting person to talk to, he’s passionate and driven. That’s an important quality one should have. When he comes to the set, you see that every shot is important to him. He doesn’t have an attitude like dekhenge, chala lenge. The passion and drive, even after all these years, is something to learn, for any actor.

This is your first film with Aanand. In an interview to this paper, he said that he found friends in you and Katrina.
He has made films that people have loved and warmed up to. This is a huge project for him, it’s his, Shah Rukh and Himanshu’s baby. The three of them have been a big part of making this film, and the passion they have put into it. I’m happy to go on this journey with them and follow their vision for my character in the movie. Aanand sir can make friends with anyone. He’s a happy person who is warm as well as strong.

How do you look at the year gone by? 
I’m in a happy space. For me, the acting assignments as well as the production aspect has been quite exciting. My brother Karnesh and I are making films for Netflix and a series for Amazon. I’m happy that people are seeing value in our production house as content creators. We are also working with new writers and directors. When you’re not acting, you have to take out time to be involved in projects. That’s what I’ve been doing as a producer. As an actor, I’m in the midst of making a decision. This has been a hectic year with distinct films. It’s important for me to decide what I’m taking on next. Five years ago, it was a different situation. Now, I’m secure and can take time. If you continue working the way I have in the past three years, you burn out. That’s why you need to take time to understand what you want to do.

How do you unwind after a long hard day?
Either I’m working or spending time with my loved ones. Otherwise, there’s no time like people say, ‘Hum ghoomne chale gaye’. When I have a break, my husband is working. When he has a break, I’m working. So it’s not like normal people taking a holiday. Now, I’m trying to be with my parents.

So what’s next for you as an actor? Any kind of role or film on your wish list?
I don’t have a wish list of the kind of roles or films I want to do. The story has to be interesting to start with.

After your wedding last December, you seem to have set off a trend in B-Town... Sonam K Ahuja, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra have followed suit.
It’s a cool trend to start (smiles). Marriage is a beautiful institution. I believe in its sanctity. I tied the knot at the age of 29. Usually, actresses are expected to settle down later in life. I’ve never been conventional and I’ve never made conventional choices. I’ve never been like let me do something tried and tested... I started producing when I was 25. I chose to marry because I felt it was the right thing to do. It’s nice to see people who are in love and committing their life to each other.

Hiren Kotwani (DNA; December 4, 2018)

Long gone are the days when two actresses couldn’t see eye to eye or warmed up to each other only after they were past their prime. Anushka Sharma, who shares credits with Katrina Kaif in the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan starrer, Zero, six years after Jab Tak Hai Jaan (JTHJ), says, “Katrina and I always had a very good equation, we are very friendly and we got along really well. From the first day on the set together, we had an easy chemistry between us. Katrina is one of my most favourite co-stars.”

While the two actresses shot a lot together in JTHJ and don’t share screen space in the upcoming Aanand L Rai directorial, their bonding continued during the making of the movie. As Anushka says, “She would come on the set, when I was filming, she would sit, chat, hang out. I have deep admiration for her as an actress.” All praise for her co-star, the Sui Dhaaga actress adds, “Katrina is very hard-working and pushes the boundaries. What she has done in the songs in Thugs Of Hindostan, I wonder how it is possible for someone to dance so incredibly well. She’s amazing. You see her focus. On the set too, she knows her lines correctly and yet she keeps at it. She’s very hard-working by nature. The best thing is that she is not at all pretentious, that’s what I like the most about her.” 

Actress Anushka Sharma discusses Twitter trolls and insists that cinema is more a director’s than an actor’s medium
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 27, 2018)

A few weeks ago, Bollywood’s ‘It’ couple, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, tied the knot at a picturesque Lake Como resort in Italy with only 40 guests in attendance. Rings were exchanged, sangeet and mehendi were followed by two wedding ceremonies and an allnight party, all away from the prying paparazzi.

Last year, another power couple, Anushka Sharma and Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli, had got married on December 11 in an equally private ceremony in a Tuscan villa, with only family and friends around. And it was only after the formalities were complete, that Virushka took to Twitter to announce the news and share a few pictures from their fairytale wedding. This was the first time the couple had officially acknowledged their relationship.

Since then, Anushka has often been spotted cheering for her man when he’s on the field and accompanying him on cricketing tours when her schedule permits. Virat too has made time to be with his better half at special screenings and even rooted for her films online. But publicly, they still refuse to discuss each other.

On Monday afternoon, as soon as the 30-year-old actress drove into Mehboob Studio for media interactions, looking stunning in a white dress, her manager stepped up to inform everyone that no personal questions would be entertained. And even though their first anniversary is only a fortnight away, when it came to Virat, Mrs Kohli stayed mum.

She was happy, however, to talk about Shah Rukh Khan, opposite whom she was introduced in Rab Ne Bana De Jodi in 2008. Since then, they have worked together in Yash Chopra’s swansong Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Imtiaz Ali’s travelogue Jab Harry Met Sejal and are now gearing up for the release of Zero, their fourth collaboration, which also reunites her with Katrina Kaif. Anushka points out that she has worked with SRK every second year since her debut. “My first film opened on December 12 and coincidentally this one releases on December 21. I find it really cool that I am completing a decade in films with Shah Rukh in December,” she smiled, adding that Zero is SRK, director Aanand L Rai and writer Himanshu Sharma’s baby. “I am happy to be a part of their larger-than-life vision,” she added.

Anushka went on to inform that she attended several acting workshops to get the nuances of Aafiya, her character, right since she has cerebral palsy. “When you play a differently-abled person, it is important to understand that you are representing a truth and it must be done with responsibility,” she explained. Her vertically-challenged ‘hero’ and the makers have described Zero as a film that celebrates incompleteness. Anushka believes otherwise. “All of us are working towards being the best version of ourselves. For me, this film stands for finding perfection in a seemingly imperfect world.”

This has been a year of surprises with big budget films failing to leave their mark and some smaller films earning the big bucks. “Content is king, and it looms above everybody,” the actress-producer pointed out. “Today, a lot of people misconstrue it as an actors’ medium. The industry will grow when everyone starts realising that film is directors’ medium.” For Anushka both critical acclaim and box-office collections are equally important. “The idea is to make sure that people watch it. As a producer, it is essential to know which market you are targeting. If your film does well in that market, then it is a success,” she maintained. So, while a section of trade insists that her last home production, Pari, is a flop, she informs that no one lost money on the film and that she is content with the way the film was received. “Either people loved it or didn’t understand it. It was an experiment and a plus film for us as a producer,” she asserted.

Anushka insisted she’s equally secure in her space as an actor which is why she is not apprehensive about signing two-heroine films. “If you write two incredible characters, why shouldn’t an actress want to work in the film? It is the impact of the character and not the length that matters,” she argued.

The social media came down heavily on her when she was clicked with the Indian Cricket team at the High Commission of India in London, the only WAG in the frame. She is unfazed by the criticism, “Social media is not the right place to gauge criticism because a lot of faceless people have an opinion on your life. There is a lot of vested interest involved, as a public figure I’m prepared for it and don’t get affected.” She added that she reacts positively to criticism from within the industry.

Unlike her contemporaries, Anushka doesn’t have a film in her kitty after Zero. Explaining the reason for slowing down, she pointed out that she has been working back-to-back. “In fact, I was working till two days before I got married. I have reached a position in my career where I can take the liberty to choose films I want to do. I am reading a lot of scripts and want to do something different from what I’ve played so far,” she said, informing that she is in talks for a few films and her production house is also in negotiations on a series and a feature film. 

Meena Iyer (DNA; September 21, 2018)

Anushka Sharma’s film trajectory needs to be stolen. She is one of the few fortunate heroines who has featured in three Rs 300-cr plus films — PK (2014), Sultan (2016) and Sanju (2018). She has also earned herself the reputation of working around each of her movies with quiet dedication and dogged determination. Right now, she is nurturing a film that seems to have its heart in the right place — Sui Dhaaga: Made in India. Even as she is stitching up loose ends, she takes a short break to answer our questions. Excerpts…

How was it working with Gen-Now star Varun Dhawan for the first time?
It was great. We didn’t know each other at all. So, we didn’t have the camaraderie that you have when you engage socially. We did have a few common friends, but we didn’t spend time together in a personal setting. He was a revelation. He’s a genuinely nice guy, well brought up and totally driven. He’s crazy, I love him (smiles). The good thing about him is that he has no ego as an actor. Varun does not portray something that he is not, which is something I really like about him. The fact that we did not ‘know’ each other helped as in the film, our respective characters — Mamta and Mauji — discover each other over a period of time.

You’ve been balancing your career with middle-of-the-road cinema and pure commercial fare. After Sui Dhaaga, you have Aanand L Rai’s Zero with Shah Rukh Khan. You had an interesting cameo in Sanju, too. Is this by design or is this how you intend to continue?
I always wanted to do more accessible cinema and balance that with films which have a different voice. I think Sui Dhaaga and PK are a good balance. My upcoming film doesn’t have lip-sync songs just like Dangal. I’m not comparing it to Dangal, I’m just talking about these films in terms of their content and how they speak to a wider audience. Also, movies like Sui Dhaaga allow you to engage with filmmakers who have a different voice. This, in turn, helps you to take that understanding and evolution that you might have experienced as an actor to another film, even if that is of a more commercial nature. Also, I can’t keep doing one thing. The luxury of an actor is to keep on reinventing. If I’m doing the same thing again and again, then it’s no fun.

When I get a different character to play, or work with a director who has a diverse vision, it’s exciting. You spend a lot of time on a film, away from home and family. So, you want to be excited about going to the set every day.

Had you taken up embroidery before the film?
I can’t recall. Perhaps, when I was in school, but not properly. My mom has done interiors and fashion designing. In fact, she used to do these wide embroidery designs that we had put up in the living room of the home we grew up in. I observed her body language closely, which helped me. But I did learn embroidery for the film and would practise on the sets, in between shots.

Did you create something for your husband (Virat Kohli), like his name or put his initials on a handkerchief?
Not really. I’d be constantly practicing embroidery on a handkerchief, or a pillow cover or a pocket square but I can’t remember doing something specific for him. I used to call the costume department and keep asking for more dhaaga (thread). After a point, they were irritated and would run away from me (laughs).

It seems like you’re doing less work now.
Do you know how many releases I have this year? Four. Starting with Pari in March, then Sanju in June, Sui Dhaaga and Zero later this December. Last year, I had three. In the last few years, I’ve only been working.

Do you plan to continue doing three-four films a year?
I’ve not decided that yet. In the past three-four years, I’ve portrayed different roles that demanded a lot from me. Ideally, I’d like to do two films a year, so I could plan and focus on them. If a third film comes my way, I’ll think, ‘Haan, mujhe woh bhi karni hai.’ That’s not something you can control as the excitement about a script and working with a director are other aspects that prompt you to take up a film.

Would you equate that as ambition or a drive?
Ambition is when you’re working towards the end goal. I’ve been working since I was a teenager. I enjoy my work. I’m in a profession where I do one project and then move on to another. I’m self-employed, so I can control what I take up. For the last 10 years, I’ve only been working. The month-long break this year is the longest I’ve had in a decade.

Did you not take a wedding break last December?
No. Until two days before my wedding, I was shooting. I don’t consider it a break because that is a milestone in my life. I needed a break from work to relax. The one I took this June-July was the longest one in my life. I also realized that it’s not good to keep working continuously. On my return, I felt energised and my creative juices were flowing better. When you’re working every single day, you are going from one set to the other and straddling films, ads and interviews. People get a kick out of that, but it doesn’t work that way for me. I need a proper work-life balance. At the same time, the films I take up are the subjects I choose to do, not because I’m working towards an end product or someone is telling me that I’ve to act in a certain number of movies. I’m in a secure position in my career. I enjoy the different kind of work that I’m offered. It’s testimony to the fact that directors are seeing that versatility in me, which is something I’ve always strived for.

Most of your co-actors say that you are a straightforward person. Are there any disadvantages to that?
Yes, you are misunderstood a lot when you’re straightforward! When people don’t say what they mean, and I say what I mean, the others are looking for another meaning. The order of the world is that no one is having transparent conversations with one another. That really frustrates me. So, I surround myself with people who understand me the way I am.

In your case what you see is what you get, right?
Yes. I’m not doing anything wrong that I need to hide. I’m comfortable in my skin and I don’t need to project an image of what I’m not. And whatever my issues or shortcomings are, I’m owning them and working on them. I’m not going around hiding or camouflaging them with a big smile on my face. I don’t want to be liked by everyone because it’s extremely strenuous to lead that kind of life. When you understand that the other person is struggling as much as you are in trying to create that image, and you start being yourself, the people around you relax. That is something I’ve discovered and I find it more peaceful. Once someone asked me what makes me take decisions and I said that I do things that make me peaceful. All my decisions are related to that. You have to be true to yourself.

Playing a small-town character in her next, Anushka Sharms says actors are increasingly gravitating towards roles rooted in reality
Sonil Dedhia (MID-DAY; September 17, 2018)

She may have had her share of glamorous roles, but Anushka Sharma says she often finds herself drawn to characters that have their roots in reality. Case in point being her next, Sui Dhaaga — Made In India, which sees the actor essaying the role of a small- town embroidery artist Mamta.

Pointing out that more and more actors are greenlighting films that may not be necessarily mainstream, Sharma says, “Commercial actors are lending themselves to off-beat films because of the audience’s demands. Viewers today are exposed to various web platforms; they are able to sample diverse content. Since there is so much awareness about the kind of content on offer, people are looking for good stories and realistic cinema.” In an industry that is largely driven by glamour, Sharma has not shied away from picking up roles that required her to go de-glam — be it in the gritty drama NH10 (2015) or Phillauri (2017).

She credits the audience for embracing actors who are true to their on- screen characters. “Actresses are playing characters that are adapted from society. I don’t think every woman wears make-up or hair extensions. Films like Dangal [2016] and Sultan [2016] went on to do terrific business, and actresses in these films weren’t dolled up the way we usually see them. This is happening only because the audience has evolved. They are concentrating on stories and not on the actors’ looks.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; October 22, 2017)

Anushka Sharma is always full of life. She hates being called bubbly but she’s energetic and enthusiastic about everything. This time, when we meet her at an event for an eyewear brand she endorses, we sit down for a quick round of Q&A in rapid- fire style. Here’s Anushka getting candid about all things...

One thing you now know that you didn’t know last year
GST!

One thing you’re never tired of hearing
(Thinks) A pack-up at the end of a good work day!

One thing you just can’t live without
Family.

One thing you’d give your right arm for
Animals. Always.

One thing you want to change about yourself
There are so many... But maybe, time management.

Your first experience of wearing glasses
I never had glasses, but I always wanted them as a kid. Because I felt they were trendy and cool.

Your favourite glasses
The ones in John Lennon style.

The number of pairs of sunglasses you own
Multiple! I’m endorsing Polaroid, so I get free stuff. (Laughs)

The first time you owned a really expensive pair of sunglasses
Well, by mistake, once I had bought really expensive sunglasses. When I realised what the price was, I had already paid for it. And I totally regretted it. That was many years ago. It was gold plated!

Do you still have it?
Obviously! They’re so expensive. I will always have them. Maybe, one day, I will even melt them and make jewellery out of them! (Laughs loudly)

One pair of glasses you’re sentimental about
I can’t part with old sunglasses. Anyway, the style that I love is very classic and vintage so they never go out of fashion. I can’t part with old wayfarers or aviators.

One thing you would like to change about men
The fact that they wear floral! (Laughs) No, they should all just get proper haircuts.

One thing you would like to change about the film industry
What am I? The changing commission? Well, still maybe if everybody could come on time. I’m usually always on time so you can imagine how frustrating it can be when most people don’t come on time!

One thing you love about the film industry
That it is very fair!

One fear that never leaves you
That I won’t reach my full potential.

One word that often slips out
Most things slip out of my mouth. I keep saying ‘You know’ a lot.

One time in life that you could return to
I was thinking about this recently. That nobody ever tells us when we are just nine-10, the time when the teenage years are starting and you are not an adult but you still are aware of both sides of the spectrum. Of being a kid and then adolescence. That time is literally the best time, because your parents are not fussing over you because you aren’t that young anymore. At the same time, the world is not taking you seriously because you are not that age. So from a consumerism point of view also, it’s the best phase. You aren’t playing with toys anymore, so yes, maybe that time is one I would happily go back to!

As a kid, you were
Extremely enterprising! I used to start libraries, organise events in my colony and I had even opened a beauty parlour once. It was for free because I knew people won’t pay us. And guess what! People actually turned up... all those cheap people wanting things for free! (Laughs)

Anushka Sharma, who recently launched her apparel line, talks about her involvement with the brand
Deepali Singh (DNA; October 9, 2017)

Anushka Sharma can afford to dress exclusively in luxury brands, but she loves wearing high street labels. “I have even worn high street wear on the red carpet,” she smiles, as she finds them “more fun”. The actress and producer has added another feather to her entrepreneur cap by launching her own apparel line called Nush.

THE ACCESSIBLE FACTOR
Remind her that while a line from fashionista Sonam Kapoor is expected, it comes as a surprise when she does it. She says, “I have never claimed to be a fashionista. But I have a sense of style, which is very personal, accessible, and comfortable and that’s what I’m providing.” The clothes in her collection will be easy to wear. The actress reveals that she is involved in all aspects of her clothing line, especially the little details, “There are many times when I have shopped from international brands and realised that I can’t wear them here because either they are too transparent or the neckline is not right or something else. We, women, have to constantly think about what to wear when we are travelling in public transport. So, for instance, we have provided for matching slips, if the outfit is slightly transparent and so on, just to make things easier,” she says.

While acting and producing does take up a lot of her time, Anushka says she has given this project her all. “There were times when a two-hour long meeting went on for nine hours and I haven’t even realised it! That’s because I have enjoyed the process so much. And it’s a great feeling to have something you have created and can call your own, out there,” she adds.

MORE THE MERRIER
While Anushka is aware that there will be comparisons made with the likes of Sonam, who has her own fashion label, she adds that people are welcome to do that. “Some people’s job is only to compare, but we are confident about our designs, product quality, varied options, reach and distribution. It’s great; the more the merrier,” says the actress, who adds that while Sonam’s aesthetic values reflect in her clothes, she has her own sense of style and understanding of the market. “Plus, I believe that if you have belief in your product, you just have to go after it and make it happen. I don’t care about what others are doing. If that was the case, I would have done that as an actress too, but I haven’t.”

Ask her if she has any celebrity in mind she would like to see wearing her brand, and she says, “I would like to see them all of them in it! But more than that, I would like to see my customers wearing it!”

High street lover, Anushka Sharma, on taking the let’s- makefashion- easy philosophy out of her wardrobe and into stores
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; October 8, 2017)

Anushka Sharma is on the phone when we walk into Andheri’s Yash Raj Studio where she is meeting press at the launch of her fashion line, Nush. She purses her lips, hums a tune, and then smiles when someone says, “You are trending”. “Yeah,” she laughs, her excitement palpable.

Sharma is wearing light blue skinny denims and a tee, looking leggy and fresh faced. The line she has birthed carries glimpses of what she wears when she is not on screen — high- street wear. “That’s the point. It’s really for everyone. I want to make fashion easy,” she says. And though she may be busy with acting and running her production house, she assures us that the fashion line isn’t a parttime venture. “The fact that I am sitting here and talking to you means that I have given it lot of thought, and that I will take out time for it. It would have been easier not to do this and instead, endorse an existing brand. My involvement is complete. I like being consumed with whatever I do. I am not social, so either I am working or spending time with family,” she says. Edited excerpts from the interview.

What are your earliest fashion memories?
I’m not sure I can call myself a tomboy, but I was a kid who wasn’t interested in doing anything but playing with my friends. When I grew older, a friend in the colony where I lived looked at me one day and said, ‘Hey, you know what? You are pretty. Why don’t you open your hair?’ My hair was done in two plaits for school, and I’d roam like that the rest of the day. I remember saying to the friend, ‘But I don’t want to.’ I thought I was cool enough anyway. But around her, I started looking at myself as a girl for the first time. Then, of course, modelling happened.

What was the first expensive item of clothing you bought?
I have never been the type to buy frightfully expensive branded stuff. But the first time I went shopping with my mother where I didn’t worry about the prices, that was something! It wasn’t fancy shopping that I did. It was high street, but not having to care about the money meant something.

You told a magazine that Karan (Johar) once said you were carrying a ‘last season’ handbag, and you said to him, ‘I don’t give a f** k!’ How do you tackle the fashion police?
I would say it again. It’s great to have nice clothes, and look good in them, but don’t allow that to dictate your self-worth. If you do something because it makes you feel good, go ahead. If you are doing it to find affirmation, I won’t approve. I will never tell you to be that person.

What was your brief to the design team for your line?
I said make it accessible to people of all ages, and body types. I want it to be a line that is easy to style; you don’t have to be a special kind of person who understands fashion or how to style, to wear clothes from it. The initial rounds of meetings would go on forever. Every piece of clothing conceived, was worn, and shared with members of focus groups who tried it.

Is there a film whose costumes you didn’t enjoy wearing?
Jab Harry Met Sejal. It was far removed from my personal choice.

So, is your personal style evident in the line?
My aesthetic sense, yes, that’s evident, but it’s not like I will wear all that’s on offer. There may be some designs in there that are not my favourites, but someone else might like them.

Has there been a piece of clothing you had to pinch yourself to believe you were wearing?
I have no interest in luxury clothing. I am selling high street fashion because that’s what I love to wear personally too. I may buy shoes, or a bag, but I don’t buy entire collections. That’s why I love a brand like Urban Outfitters.

It’s not the first time an actor has launched a fashion line. Sonam and Rhea Kapoor introduced their collection for the young, urban Indian woman recently. How will your line stand apart?
I am not here to differentiate my line from anyone else’s; that’s not the idea. I do what I want to, when I want to. I have been planning this (launch) for five years. I have worked on finding the right people to do this with. The more (competition), the merrier. Everyone will do what they think is best, and leave it to the customers to choose.

Bollywood’s most fashionable actor is?
Me! No, but seriously, I think everyone dresses well. Sonam (Kapoor), of course, and Kangana (Ranaut). Also, Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor among the men.

Cricket’s most stylish player?
(Smiles).

Anushka Sharma on the struggles she faced in her professional life and why she doesn’t talk about them
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; September 19, 2017)

Getting a break in films is not easy. Only a small percentage of the people, who try to make it as an actor, actually manages to realise their dreams. Many successful actors have spoken about the struggle they went through in their formative years. Among the A-list actresses, Anushka Sharma, who had no filmi connections had a tough time. However, she has never talked about the hardships she has faced or the rejections she braved, during her initial years. In this candid, no-holds-barred interview, the actress narrates some untold stories of her professional life. Read on...

Your story looks like a tailor-made success story. Have you never faced rejection?
I have faced rejection from the age of 15. I don’t talk about it because there’s no need to do that. But, I was constantly getting dropped from shows, picked for an ad and then would get replaced. All that has happened to me, too. Obviously, all that is also an integral part of the industry and life in general. But to experience that at the tender age of 15, to be subjected and be judged purely on the basis of how you look, it can be very mentally damaging as well. It hits your self-esteem. I have dealt with it.

But no one knew about this and you never spoke about it too. Why?
I don’t want to sit and make things into a sob story unless someone asks me about it. I don’t want to make that image. If people had asked me about it previously, I would have spoken about it. But nobody did.

Vidya Balan was removed from a film and the producer had passed some nasty comments on her. Have you also faced something as horrific?
That hasn’t happened with me where someone is so vocal about what they feel. But when people go talking about things in a roundabout manner, I’m intelligent enough to understand what they are saying. They might just tell you, ‘The look wasn’t right’. That’s an indirect way of talking about the physical aspect of you. It will always be backed by some politically correct statements, which is fake and to me, that’s far more disrespectful. I feel it’s better if someone tells me to my face that you aren’t good-looking enough for the part. Saamne hi bol do na! I prefer things to be said to me straight-up because otherwise, in that roundabout thing, you also are left confused.

So, did you instantly like Aditya Chopra because he was being honest with you, right from the first meeting?
Adi had said you are not the most good-looking girl we have seen. So it was not because of that reason that he was taking me in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. He told me that he signed me purely because of my talent and what I did in the auditions. It felt really good. I didn’t feel bad about it at all when he said I’m not the most good looking girl. Because at least he was being honest with me at that time.

Priyanka Chopra had said in our interview that a producer had called heroines like her ‘replaceable’. Have you ever been replaced without prior info?
No, I have never been replaced. But there was a director who made me say yes to a film, right at the beginning of my career, and then he never told me that the film isn’t happening. I kept thinking it will happen. But then, I called someone and I got to know he isn’t doing the film anymore. The director never bothered to even inform me. And I was supposed to be putting on a lot of weight for the film, making a physical transformation in the way I looked. I even started talking to nutritionists and all, but this fellow didn’t even have the courtesy of informing me.

If the same director comes to you again, will you work with him?
I have listened to him and heard him out because I don’t hold grudges. But when he approached me again, I didn’t do his films because they weren’t good.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; August 17, 2017)

More often than not, whenever two actors work together, there are always differences — over ego, ideology and even star power. Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif will share screen space for the second time in Aanand L Rai’s movie with Shah Rukh Khan, after working well together in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The fact that they get along with each other off screen helps with the on-screen chemistry. The actresses reveal why they are happy co-stars...

Katrina Kaif
I think the working environment should be pleasant for everybody. The less stress, the better it is. If there’s any conflict between two people, it doesn’t make for a nice environment for anyone. But it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. Everyone has become really, really professional when it comes to work. We come, we work, and we go home. Aanand’s film has a really good script and I’m happy that Anushka is in the film. She is a very simple, chilled out person to work with and that’s great.

Anushka Sharma
Whether I get along with someone or don’t, doesn’t matter. I don’t need to get along with everybody around me. It’s just the vibe thing. Sometimes, you feel the vibe and connect with someone, sometimes you don’t. How you are in a place and how the other person is, that’s what matters. They can’t be pretentious. It can’t be that they are being normal and you are not being normal or the other way round. All these things do play a role. I’m happy that with Katrina and me, things are quite transparent and real!

MID-DAY (August 7, 2017)

Her initial years in Bollywood saw her play the bubbly girl in films, but actor Anushka Sharma says she has now progressed in her career and moved beyond the extrovert kind of roles. The 29-year-old actor, who made her Bollywood debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (2008), says she realised after a while that she could no longer identify with such characters.

“I remember there was a time in my life when I did a lot of these extrovert kind of roles. But there was this phase when I got wondering... maybe because I was changing as a person, I realised I could not relate to these things anymore,” says Anushka.

The actor says this change confused people around her, who felt she had suddenly become a different person. “There were people around me, who had perhaps known me for a while like friends, industry people and journalists, they felt that there was something wrong with me. That suddenly I was different. But that’s the natural progression that you go through."

The actor, who has emerged as one of the top female stars in Bollywood within a short span of time, teamed up with Shah Rukh for the third time in the recent release, Jab Harry Met Sejal. The actor says while the pragmatic outlook of her character may appear like her real-life persona, Sejal was quite dissimilar to her and it took her a while to understand and approach the part.

Sharma says while there is a lot of discussion on-women’s rights and equality, she belongs to the generation, which is trying to seek freedom while being rooted. “Today, we talk about how women want to be treated in a certain way and rightfully so. At the same time, I feel that we, especially my generation, come from the protected family set- ups. And while we are working and getting educated, we are also the generation which is in the middle of protectiveness and at the same time, seeking that freedom.”

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; August 3, 2017)

Anushka Sharma’s Jab Harry Met Sejal releases this week. We decided to ask the actress if she remembered her first meetings with people she has worked with. So, here it goes — Jab Anushka met...

Aditya Chopra
It was at the audition of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi (RNBDJ). Nobody expected him to be a part of the audition, but he suddenly walked in. I remember blabbering things to him because I was nervous. I told him that I was really stressed and God knows what else. I don’t even remember what nonsense I had spoken to him that time. I was talking s**t. That’s all I remember. He was really chilled out and he told me, ‘Whatever you have done so far during the auditions, just do that.’

Shah Rukh Khan
On the first day of the shoot for RNBDJ, he came as Suri. That’s not how I expected to see Shah Rukh for the first time. But it was nice to see a more rooted SRK. He was extremely nice, humble and sweet to me.

Yash Chopra
I met him after my first film. He came to congratulate me for RNBDJ. He just said, ‘Welcome to the Yash Raj family.’

Ranbir Kapoor
I met Ranbir at the Yash Raj gym. I was doing RNBDJ and he was doing Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, Shimit’s (Amin) film. It was nothing more than just an introduction. It was just ‘Hi, hello, I am Anushka, I am Ranbir’. He congratulated me for the film.

Karan Johar
That was again on the sets of RNBDJ when he had come to meet Adi and Shah Rukh. He just came and said ‘Hi’. Just a gentle hello and he wished me all the best for the film.

Ranveer Singh
It was during his audition for Band Baaja Baaraat. The team had called me to do a scene with him. And he was just being Ranveer! (laughs). He was hyperactive and restless. If you ask me what was my first impression of him, I would say, ‘Not much’ (laughs).

Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; July 30, 2017)