Year’s promising debutante, Alaya F, on sleepless nights that preceded her unconventional launch
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 13, 2020)

Her debut film, Jawaani Jaaneman, opened on January 31. Flashbacking to that all-important Friday, Alaya F recalls that she read every single review of the film and was baffled. “Not one criticism for my performance; it was too good to be true! So then, the hunt began for one bad review, even among the YouTube trolls,” the debutante laughs, admitting that she called her manager and told her she wanted to be overworked. "I didn’t even need to sleep; it was more important to capitalise on this beginning.”

Buzz is, Alaya has locked a three-film deal with her first film producer, Jay Shewakramani, and one with Vashu Bhagnani, but she isn’t telling much, except clarifying that there’s no Student Of The Year 3 happening. “I’m open to Bollywood, Hollywood, South and OTT. I wanted to be a filmmaker initially and ran away from acting. Now, I want to act for as long as I can, surprise everyone with my choices,” she says fervently.

The Coronavirus lockdown has put the brakes on her 100-metre dash, but Alaya is taking it in her stride as after Jawaani Jaaneman, she got just a two-three-day getaway before it was back to classes and shoots. “There was a lot of guilt associated with being unproductive. Now, there’s no choice, so I’m working on my art, cleaning out cupboards, learning to play the piano and cook,” she shares.

We return to her first screen turn. What’s the most memorable compliment she got? The query makes her chuckle. “That I looked cute with a pregnant belly. It was a very real-looking, heavy prosthetic belly which gave me a backache. I was excited about getting pregnant till I realised the abs I’d taken months to acquire would be covered up,”Alaya says. Her unconventional choice of subject surprised many, including her producer. “I liked the script,” she says. Were there second thoughts? “None related to the project. My biggest fear was that I might not be as good as I thought I was or wanted to be, that I’d let down myself and others. There were many sleepless nights,” she admits, revealing that every time someone went to Jay’s office to watch portions of the film, she’d tag along. “By the time I finally saw it on the big screen with family, friends and the team, two days before it opened, I was so numb that when someone told me I was good, I was convinced they were lying,” she reminisces.

That first screening was memorable because not only her mom Pooja Bedi, with her fiancé Maneck Contractor, was there, but her dad, Farhan Furniturewala, and stepmom, Laila Khan, had turned up with their four-year son Zaan. Also present was her grandfather, Kabir Bedi, with his better half Parveen Dusanj. It was a classic case of you, me and ours. “From a very young age, I’ve learnt that as long as people are happy, you should be happy for them. Mine is a big, open, loving family; I respect everyone’s choices and enjoy a great equation with them. We complicate love and relationships too much, we don’t need to. That’s what my first film was about, too,” she points out.

There’s a strong mind there, that sets Alaya apart from other 20-somethings. After training in New York, she didn’t return to plunge into Bollywood straightaway, but did another two years of training on home ground. “It was important to understand what I was getting into. I spoke to a lot of people, asked questions, maybe one too many. When I found myself getting too comfortable with one acting sir’s way of teaching, I took classes with others even if their ways didn’t align with mine. Every director and project is different and you can’t get into a comfortable space,” she reasons, grateful to Saif (Ali Khan), who played her father, for helping her lose the first-day jitters. “He’s not afraid to praise and didn’t treat me as a newcomer. The Jawaani team became my family and it was the perfect first film. Now, I’m ready to go wherever life takes me,” she avers with the spirit and spunk that has made her an Instagram star. Won’t Bollywood dilute the frank-speak, make her boringly diplomatic? “I have always spoken my mind, always will, but it’s important to be responsible in what you say,” she signs off.

Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; January 28, 2020)

In her debut film, Jawaani Jaaneman, Alaya F will be seen sharing screen space with senior actors like Saif Ali Khan and Tabu. The confident young actress is excited to step into the industry and see her dream come true. In a candid chat with BT, she talks about the nepotism debate, stepping into the silver screen, the relationship she shares with her mother, Pooja Bedi, and more. Excerpts:

From dreaming about joining movies to landing a role in a film with Saif Ali Khan, and now gearing up for its release — has it sunk in that you are all set to make your big Bollywood debut?
It is all so magical! It’s surreal to see yourself on big screen. When I saw the film for the first time, I told myself that I would need some time to process this. I enjoyed watching myself on big screen so much that I have already seen the film thrice!

Did you always dream of becoming an actress? How did you prepare yourself to achieve your goal?
I have been prepping for the last four years. For two years, I studied direction and acting in New York. When I returned to Mumbai, I took training in acting, diction, gymnastics, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and dancing, which included forms like contemporary, Bollywood, Kathak, etc.

What’s the feeling of working with a senior and experienced actor like Saif Ali Khan in your first film?
Saif is very smart and witty. You can talk to him about anything and everything. He has been very supportive and is a very giving actor.

At the time of my solo shots, he would be there on the set to give me cues to better my performance. The first time I faced the camera for this film, it was for a scene with him. It was a dialogue-heavy, seven-page long scene, which was a six-minute shot. Nitin sir (Kakkar, director) asked me to do it in a single, continuous shot. It was a crucial scene where I reveal that I am Saif ’s daughter. I was nervous, but it went off smoothly without rehearsing the scene with Saif. The two of us shared a great comfort level.

You hail from a film family. Did you seek support and advice from your mother Pooja Bedi and grandfather Kabir Bedi?
I made a conscious decision to not involve my family members too much in my film journey. Family members tend to get emotional. So, I felt it is better not to mix the two. I told my mother right at the beginning that I would only reach out to her for advice. I am happy that she understood and supported me. Likewise, I go and seek my nana’s (Kabir Bedi) opinion, too. I like making my own decisions. I remember showing my nana my acting videos from my classes, and he would give his perspective on them. I grew extremely close to my nana during my process of becoming an actress.

Was your mom impressed with your training and prep? The way the industry functioned when she entered showbiz was quite different…
She was impressed. She has seen me slog for 14 hours straight, hopping from one class to another. She once told me about how she got her first film. She said that she was 10 minutes late for a meeting, and so she called the director to inform him about the delay and apologise for it. He was really surprised. He was so impressed with her sense of discipline that he cast her in the film without a second thought. That was the time when actors used to come on sets many hours late. Bollywood has changed so much since then. There are so many female-centric films today, and everything is contentdriven. It’s a competitive world out there, and everyone is well prepared. If you are not up to the mark then someone else, who is more prepared, will take your place. Everyone is so dispensable now. I firmly believe ki agar kaam karoge toh kaam milega. I love competition; it keeps everyone on their toes and motivated. You see your contemporaries and learn from their achievements and mistakes, too. It’s interesting to see the paths each one (contemporaries) takes. Alia Bhatt and Priyanka Chopra (Jonas) have inspired me a lot. They are so talented and do such diverse work.

Though you are yet to make your debut, you are already popular on social media. Did you think of that as a stepping-stone to a career in Bollywood?
No, at that point of time, I wanted to be a director and not an actor. So, it had nothing to do with that. In fact, I went to New York to study direction, but later I changed my mind and enrolled in acting classes. When I came back to India and started training here, I was almost disconnected from social media. I lost interest in it. Now that I am an actress, I am making an effort to get back and be more active on social media. However, it is difficult to get back into it once you’ve cut it out of your life. I know it is important, but I don’t take it too seriously.

Recently, while talking about nepotism, you said, ‘Even in our struggle, we are privileged’. It looks like you are ready to take the debate head-on and address it.
Of course! I expected these questions to come my way. However, I feel it’s great that a subject like this is being talked about. It is a reality, and there is no need to run away from it. Addressing it sensitively and acknowledging it is the most important part. For me, no matter what people say, I am still going to act. I am going to do what I love. Hopefully, one day I will be good enough and no one will consider me a product of nepotism. Look at actors like Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor... people don’t look at them as privileged star kids, because they are so good at what they do. Today, we see a lot of talent on the rise in Bollywood. We have star kids coming in, plus, there are talented actors from outside the industry, who are getting great opportunities, too. With more talent around, there are better opportunities and more films are being made.

Earlier in the interview, you said that you share a great bond with your mother. Your parents got divorced when you were really young. How has your relationship with your parents evolved over the years?
My mother allowed me to be my own person. She encouraged me to have an opinion and voice it loud and clear. My mother and I are rarely on the same page, and that makes for good conversations and debates. We look at things differently. I share a great equation with my father (Farhan Furniturewala), too. Both my parents have been there for me constantly and consistently. My dad is extremely excited ever since I told him that I wanted to get into movies. He used to send me newspaper clippings about films under pre-production and ask me to audition for them. Ever since I came back from New York, I spent a lot more time with him. He knows nothing about movies (laughs!). My mother lives in Goa now, while my brother Omar is in Los Angeles, where he is studying business management. Since I live alone in Mumbai, I tend to see my father a lot more. I share a great equation with my stepmother (Laila) and stepbrother Zaan. I hate calling him my stepbrother; he is my brother. He is just four years old and is very cute. I also share a good equation with my mom’s partner (Maneck Contractor). He, too, is excited about my film debut. A few days ago, we went to a multiplex to watch a movie, and when we saw a poster of Jawaani Jaaneman, we all started clicking pictures with it.

Alaya F, Pooja Bedi’s daughter, on the nepotism debate, her independent relationship with her divorced parents and keeping track of contemporaries
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 16, 2020)

Straightaway Alaya F informs you that she did not want to become an actress because everyone told her she should follow in mother Pooja Bedi’s footsteps. “I was good in academics and had bagged several extra-curricular awards, so I could have done a lot of other things with my life. But since I loved films, I decided to be a director and enrolled for a four-year course in filmmaking at the New York University,” she informs.

After a year, during a group activity, when she was being directed by a fellow student, she realised that she enjoyed acting. So, when she returned to India for a summer break, she told her mother over lunch that she wanted to face a camera now rather than stepping behind it. “She told me I was being indecisive. No one took me seriously then, so, I took control and completed all the documentation needed to get into the New York Film Academy. I got admission, made my five-year plan and went to my parents, wanting their approval. That was the best decision I ever made,” Alaya smiles with satisfaction.

The course taught her basic things like how to break down a script and gave her an understanding of characters. “On returning to Mumbai, I was clear that I would train for another two years and did many acting and dance classes, learnt everything from Bollywood to contemporary hip hop and Kathak. To get rid of my Yankee accent, I took Hindi diction classes and signed up for voice modulation,” she rattles off.

And all the effort led to her bagging Saif Ali Khan’s home production, Jawaani Jaaneman, in which she plays his daughter. Alaya is quick to point out that no one came to her with an offer saying, “Hey, we like you, so let’s find a nice script, a good director and a co-star and make it happen.” There were several meetings and auditions. “I got rejected several times, then, was lucky enough to bag this film. I am glad that I got rejected and grateful my debut is happening with Saif sir and Tabu ma’am. It didn’t feel real until I started shooting the film,” she admits.

You wonder about her mother’s reaction and while she agrees that Pooja was very excited, more so because she doesn’t tell her anything about what’s happening in her life—“She didn’t even get to see the trailer in advance”—she is quick to add that she only goes to her for advice when she wants it. “If she comes to me with unsolicited advice, I tell her, ‘Mumma, I didn’t ask for it.’ I believe in sab ki suno, apni karo. Having said that, she’s always there when needed,” she concedes.

Quiz her on her dad, Farhan Furniturewala, and she points out that though her parents are divorced, they are very involved in her life and are her silently supportive buddies. “Since my mother lives in Goa now, I tend to see my dad more often. He has another child with my stepmother whom I dearly love, and lot of stuff revolves around going out with him,” she smiles.

Bring up the nepotism issue and she admits it’s real and there’s no running away from it. “We need to realise that even in our struggle, we are privileged. If we got rejected in 10 auditions, someone else has got the thumbs down 100 times. Their struggle is greater than ours. But just because I’m privileged, doesn’t mean that I’m not going to do what I love and work hard at it,” she asserts.

And what was it like working with Saif? The smile is back, “It was fun, he’s a great guy to be around as he is intelligent, funny and witty and the set was, in general, a happy place.” Alaya goes on to say that when they were shooting in London, even Kareena Kapoor dropped by, but to her disappointment, they didn’t meet because Saif’s actress-wife arrived minutes after she had wrapped up. “But I played with Taimur many times, he used to keep running around, doing his thing.”

Given that she plays Saif’s daughter on screen, did she take any cues from his reallife daughter, Sara, you wonder, and Alaya retorts, “This character isn’t Sara, its Tia. With Nitin sir (Kakkar, director) I tried to put my real self into the role.”

Sounding very grown up for her years, she views competition as healthy and a great motivator. “Sara, Ananya (Panday), Tara (Sutaria), Janhvi (Kapoor), among others, are all extremely talented in different ways and together we’ve so much to offer. I respect everyone and have watched all their interviews several times to learn from their mistakes and take a note of their good points. I’ve also learnt to see them in the limelight,” she asserts.

Any wish-list of actors she wants to work with? She goes off like a shot, “Kartik (Aaryan), Varun (Dhawan) and Ayushmann (Khurrana), they are doing work which is successful at the box-office and I enjoy watching them on screen. It would be fun to perform with them,” she admits, but is quick to add that she has no role models and doesn’t believe in following something that’s already been done. “I admire a lot of actresses, from Priyanka Chopra and Alia Bhatt to Deepika Padukone, but I want to make my own path and hope somebody else follows it one day,” she signs off with a naughty twinkle in her eye.