Iulia Vantur takes on trolls, opens up about good friend Salman Khan and describing Mumbai as her home, says ‘Home is where the heart is’
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 16, 2018)

For someone who is seen way more than she is heard in the public domain, Iulia Vantur instantly registers her presence with a pronounced accent and wit. She is also strikingly articulate in a retelling of her discovery of India — walking through the streets of Rishikesh during her maiden visit, exploring art in Rajasthan, and acquainting herself with the vibe of Mumbai, which she has come to call home over the last few years. In this interview, the 37-year-old TV host-singer (she was never an actress, she clarifies after frequently being called one) talks about lesser-known aspects of her life in Romania, her equation with Salman Khan and Bollywood aspirations.

Your friendship with Salman Khan and proximity to his family has made headlines in the last two years. Is it somewhat tiring to remain silent on the subject, especially since you live in Mumbai now?
I was 19 when I walked into a newsroom for the first time. I had heard that a channel was looking for an anchor. I was going to drop in my CV and leave, when an assistant told me that the producer hated blondes and I didn’t stand a chance. I insisted on giving it a shot anyway. As luck would have it, the producer walked by right then and upon learning that I wanted to be an anchor, asked me if I’d take the test right away. I was young and hesitant but I aced it and landed the job. I worked as a news anchor for the next 15 years, writing, editing news stories and becoming an independent, working woman in the process. I was winning at life. I went on to host Dancing With The Stars for eight seasons. So, I don’t scare easy. And I don’t focus on the negativity.

Nobody knows this side of you…
Nobody knows me here. They even call me ‘Lulia’ here, when my name is spelt with an ‘I’. I am a respected personality in Romania. A news anchor receives a certain status symbol wherever they are based. Here, people don’t know of my life and journey. They don’t know my struggles and the hard work that I have put in for decades. They look at me and they see a girl with big Bollywood dreams. (Laughs) But that’s not me at all! I’ve lived the famed life, the rich life, and I don’t crave for it. I never thought life would bring me to India but I followed my heart and here I am.

Online trolls have been merciless, constantly using uncharitable words to downplay your professional achievements…
Many friends have told me that I need to have a reaction to things that are happening around me. But my life is filled with beautiful moments and beautiful people, and I choose to stick to that. I’m a single child, born to caring and protective parents, and they get really pissed off when they hear things about my private life. After I finished law school, my father was sure I’d become a court magistrate one day. And despite my foray into television and eventually music, they have supported me. It upsets them to hear negative comments about their only child. But they know who they raised at home, and I like to guard their privacy.

You’re a Hindi singer now. Do you also have plans to become a Bollywood actress?
(Laughs) I had never planned to come to India to work. There was no ambition, no fool-proof plan. Salman (Khan) is a good friend and he guided me, encouraging me to sing. I never thought that I would be able to sing in Hindi but he supported me. I started singing because of him. I had no plans to be a part of Bollywood but I also like surprises at the same time.

There is so much talk around his bachelorhood and your impending marriage…
I’m aware of the gossip. Most of it is not true. But I cannot stop people from spinning stories. I have a lot of respect for Salman. At the same time, I have no idea where life is taking me. Three years ago, I was all about being responsible and making plans, but not everything turns out the way we expect them to. Not everything is our will. What happens was meant to happen.

How did it all – the music, the rumours, your initiation into the elite circle of Bollywood – really begin?
It started from the song “Teri Meri” (sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal for the 2011 Salman-starrer Bodyguard). At the time, I was in the studio, and everybody asked me to sing a Romanian song. I chose a Christmas carol that I sing to my parents every year. Himesh (Reshammiya, composer) loved it and said, “We’re going to make a beautiful song out of this.” Six years later, when he wanted to work on a music video, he thought of me, and “Every Night and Day” came into being.

You’re ready with your next single, “Harjai”…
Maniesh (Paul, who also features in the single) and I are great friends and since we’re both TV hosts, there’s a lot of conversations around that. I spend a lot of time at recording studios and Sachin Gupta, who was composing a track for T-Series at the time, heard me jam with Maneish. We were soon having fun and he asked me to join in. It was a challenge learning pronunciations of Hindi words but Sachin and director Shabina Khan helped me through it. There’s so much to learn from Indian classical music and I’d love to explore it next.

Is there an album in the works, too?
I don’t have a plan for that. My music will remain an organic journey. And Mumbai is now my home. Home is where the heart is.

So will the media be hearing more from you now?
Maybe… Well, honestly, no.

Encouraged by the actor, who believed they complement each other as singers, the duo recently shot for a music video with another favourite of the Khan camp
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 13, 2018)

It is no secret that TV host-turned-actor Maniesh Paul is one of Salman Khan’s favourites and has hosted every Da-bangg concert over the last year. Salman even gifted Maniesh a jacket from his personal collection for his performance on “Mujhse Shaadi Karogi”, among other chartbusters, during the international tour. Recently, the younger actor who’s a frequent guest at Salman’s house parties confided in him that he wanted to come out with his first music video. The 52-year-old-actor immediately got into action, pointing him in the direction of his good friend Iulia Vantur. He had launched the Romanian model-singer in mid-2016 and promised to promote her as a fine musical talent. Salman was convinced that Maniesh and Iulia would make a perfect match on screen and set about putting the project together.

Directed by Shabina Khan, Salman’s choreographer on films like Dabanng, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo and Tubelight, the romantic song is titled “Harjai”, and has been written and composed by “Doori” singer Sachin Gupta and sung by Maniesh and lulia. It was shot entirely at a city studio using rustic backdrops.

“I came on board because of Bhai. His trust in me was touching and we are looking forward to showing him the complete song. Iulia’s voice is unique which made the song really romantic. You will see a softer side to Maneish here, without his usual masti and jokes,” she smiles.

Iulia, who has been taking Hindi classes in Mumbai, has in the past sung “Jag Ghoomeya” and crooned and appeared in Himesh Reshammiya’s music video “Every Night And Day”. According to a source from the sets of the T-Series music video, Salman joked that since Iulia was already one music video and two songs-old, Maniesh could learn a few moves from the senior songstress.

The actor himself has been prepping up for the Sunday finale of his reality show, Bigg Boss. Determined to make his last act of season 11 an unforgettable one, Salman has roped in Shabina for this one too.

Speaking about her TV debut, Shabina says, “It’s an action-packed act and we have stunt guys performing with Bhai and the background dancers. It has romance, humour and his popular dialogues. Since Tiger Zinda Hai has been received so well, we wanted to give the audience a feel of the film too and that’s how the idea developed. We will be shooting it today. Since Bhai has been so busy with his upcoming film, Race 3, we barely had two days to come up with the concept, compose the music and get the act ready with the dancers, before we start rehearsals with him.”

On Thursday, after completing his shoots at Mehboob studio and Film City for the third instalment in the franchise, Salman recorded some of his iconic lines late in the night for his finale act on the TV show, before showing up for dance practise. “His energy is amazing!” Shabina signs off on a high note.