Rueing that she has been restricted to glamorous roles in films, Zareen Khan hopes to change the image with a travel show
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; January 29, 2020)

How often is it that your passion and profession find meeting ground? An avid traveller, Zareen Khan is thrilled that her maiden television show, Bollywood Trails, takes her to different pockets of the country since she explores iconic locales that served as settings for Hindi films. The actor talks about taking on a new role for the AXN venture, and why she is more than just a pretty face.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

Did you have TV offers coming your way before you signed this show?
I got offers to be part of reality shows, Bigg Boss being one of them. But Bigg Boss is not my cup of tea. I am glad to debut on television with something that I enjoy doing. Travel is my passion and Bollywood is my profession. [The two elements] combine on this show, making it the perfect debut vehicle for me on TV. With this show, I got the opportunity to [travel to] some iconic locations that have been used in Bollywood films and heard so many behind-the-scenes stories from directors.

Was television part of your career plan?
I always dreamt of doing a travel show. I remember telling my sister about this during the shoot of 1921, in London, and now, it has come true. Imagine visiting some of the most gorgeous sites, relishing exquisite cuisines and being paid to do that! Another advantage of doing the show is that I will be able to reach a wider audience. People will get to see the real side to me.

Did you play a part in choosing the locations?
Unfortunately, I wasn’t part of the research. The team had already decided the locales they wanted to go to, the directors they wanted to interview and the films they wanted to discuss. One of the reasons they got me on board was because I am an avid traveller. Also, I like driving in difficult terrain.

Were you aware of the hotspots before you shot for the series?
There are so many things I wasn’t aware of. Through the series, I got to see the places in a new light. I know India more because of this [outing].

What is happening on the film front?
My upcoming release, Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele, was recently screened at the Rajasthan Film Festival and received great feedback. I will start shooting for a Punjabi film, and have signed another horror movie. Besides this, I am making my web debut with a woman-oriented [series].

Your movie career hasn’t panned out the way you would’ve liked it to. Why?
People in the industry have a different perception about me — they think I am an eye-candy and not capable of doing performance-oriented roles. I don’t blame them [for thinking so since I have done glamorous roles]. But I can choose only from the offers that come my way. After Hum Bhi Akele, Tum Bhi Akele, I hope people’s perception changes and they realise that I am more than a pretty face. I am making a conscious effort to pick content-driven projects.

Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; December 2, 2019)

Film and theatre actor Anshuman Jha, who debuted in Bollywood with Dibakar Banerjee’s Love, Sex Aur Dhoka (2010) and went on to do offbeat films like Yeh Hai Bakrapur (2014), Chauranga (2014), Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain (2017) and No Fathers In Kashmir (2019), is thrilled. His new film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele (HBATBA), directed by Harish Vyas, has bagged the Best Film Audience Choice Award at the HBO South Asian International Film Festival at its World Premiere in New York City. Excerpts from a chat:

You have done several impressive offbeat films, but a role like this must have been a different challenge. Tell us about your part and prep for the film?
HBATBA is India’s first LGBTQIA film after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement decriminalising homosexuality in 2018. The film revolves around the friendship between a gay man and a lesbian (played by Zareen Khan) as they embark on a road journey. Veer’s role (my character) was offered to many actors before it finally came to me, and I am glad they all rejected it (laughs!). I was never hesitant to play a gay character, but everyone around me told me that it was not a good idea. However, I took it up as a challenge and did a lot of homework. I read up a lot and met people from the community. HBATBA has been an immensely draining yet satisfying experience. We received great appreciation from the LGBTQIA community in New York. And, the best part is, we were voted the winners. That makes me proud. In India, the community has been repressed for long and judged by society. So, my job as a heterosexual man was to portray Veer in the most sensitive manner possible — without playing him in a conventional way (as we have often seen in our cinema) and making a caricature of the character.

You have played a variety of characters in your career so far. Which of them do you identify the most with?
Over the years, I have realised that I identify the most with vulnerable characters - on stage and screen. Luckily, I have been offered unconventional roles. In my next, Midnight Delhi, I play reallife serial killer, Blademan. I think that even a criminal has a human side to him, and I find portraying that vulnerability challenging. I have never networked for roles and have picked the best from what I was offered.

How was it working with Zareen Khan in HBATBA?
There is a good actor in her, and she must do more roles like this. Our equation and chemistry translated well on screen.

Do you think films like HBATBA will change the way LGBTQIA characters are written for our films?
I think that it’s already changing. Shakun Batra did it with Kapoor & Sons (2016), and our film will take it a step further. Harish Vyas has written the two characters (played by Zareen and me) as a celebration of the community. There was a popular line from a Karan Johar film that I grew up on — ‘Pyaar Dosti Hai’. This film is about discovering that love in friendship.

You are also turning director in 2020…
Bikas Mishra, who I worked with in Chauranga, has written the script of Lord Curzon Ki Haveli, and we both felt that it would be best if I directed it as I am very close to it. It’s a black comedy and features Tannishtha Chatterjee and Arjun Mathur. Two more leads are yet to be locked. It will roll out in the UK in early 2020.

Apart from working on your directorial, what else is on the cards in 2020?
On the personal front, 2019 has been a tough year. My mother is battling cancer, and I have shifted her from Delhi to Mumbai. Hopefully, she will be better soon. For now, I want to cherish every moment with her. Professionally, it’s inspiring to see the kind of work actors like Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann Khurrana, Vicky Kaushal and Vikrant Massey are doing. I also admire Anurag Kashyap and Zoya Akhtar’s work, and hopefully, I will get an opportunity to work with them in 2020.

Zareen Khan talks about her next project, an Indie film, where she plays a lesbian; adds she hopes to get roles where she is not “just glamorous”
Kavita Awaasthi (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 22, 2019)

“I wanted to do a film where I was not a mere pretty face. I didn’t want to be just glamorous and make no impact in the film,” says Zareen Khan, who is excited about her next project, Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, where she plays a lesbian.

She had a mega launch opposite superstar Salman Khan in Veer (2010), and then, she appeared in the track Character Dheela from Ready (2011) before being cast in Housefull 2 (2012). But it was with Hate Story 3 (2015), that she received appreciation for her bold role.

“There is a perception regarding me and that’s why I have only been getting certain kind of roles. I did them for a while expecting better roles to come along, but that didn’t happen. I wasn’t feeling too satisfied.” Zareen then decided to take a break and wait for a role that excited her. She is thrilled to be a part of an Indie film, which will premier at the South Asian International Film Festival, New York, USA.

“I just needed the opportunity to show people that I can act. This film was one of them. Shooting for an Indie film was fun and challenging. The budget was limited so the shooting experiences were different from the commercial setup I have been part of before. I understood that the way of working would be different and I was ready for it. I was only looking at the role and the story than anything else,” she says, adding working on the film has given her a lot of satisfaction.

Playing the role of a lesbian is considered bold enough but Zareen shares that she didn’t have any intimate scenes in the film. “It is a story about friendship between a gay boy and a lesbian girl. It also focuses on the emotions and turmoil that the LGBTQ community goes through, even today in society, among their peers and their family. They don’t have the freedom that heterosexuals do. This is a story that needs to be told. As for intimate scenes, had there been scenes with another girl, I will kiss a girl if the role demands. But there is nothing of that sort in this film. Going to New York for the festival is going to be exciting and I am looking forward to experiencing my first film festival,” she concludes. 

Suhas Yellapantula (BOMBAY TIMES; September 22, 2019)

As we are welcomed into Zareen Khan’s vanity van, parked near the sets of her debut Telugu film Chanakya, it’s evident that the actress spends a considerable amount of time in the vehicle. “Don’t mind the mess. Please make yourself comfortable,” she tells us, as we scout for a place to sit amidst piles of costumes, boxes of shoes, hair and beauty tools and tons of make-up. “This place is like my home here. It’s where I come back to unwind after a long day’s shoot. I also come here when I take a break from shoot and it’s where I can be myself — the way I am when I’m at home,” Zareen says, as she settles down for a chat about playing a lesbian in her upcoming Hindi film and dealing with trolls who never tire of comparing her to Katrina Kaif.

The news of you playing a lesbian in your upcoming film Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele has created quite a stir...
It is the story of the friendship between a lesbian girl and a gay boy. When I heard it for the first time, I knew that I had to do this. I try to do films that touch upon social issues or problems that the country or the world is facing. It’s high time people talk about the discrimination that LGBTQIA+ community faces. Homosexuals have always been a part of our society and they should be getting the same treatment as anybody else. They have the same blood, skin and emotions. So why do we look at them differently? The abolition of Section 377 has come as a big boost to the community and hopefully, it’s the first step towards ending discrimination against them.

Yes, there has been some backlash because I signed a film like this. In fact, some people have been trying to teach me my religion! Haters can hate; it just reflects their own narrow mindset. People troll you irrespective of what you say or do, and I can’t be bothered by that or let that affect my decision-making. There is a popular saying that goes, ‘You may be the juiciest peach in the world, but there will still be people who don’t like peaches.’ Whether people like this film or not, I’m doing it for my satisfaction.

Talking of trolls, you were recently body-shamed for stretch marks on your stomach. You even hit back with a fitting response...
It wasn’t my intention to react, but I found it strange that a picture about the beautiful surroundings around me suddenly became about my body! Instead of admiring the beauty, people chose to focus on a very small area of my stomach. These are the same people who look at pictures of celebrities on magazines and say, ‘OMG! These celebs are so fake’. And now, when I’m showing the real me, without any filters or make-up, they troll me. The hypocrisy is damning. Today, there are 10,000 beauty apps that can change the way you look, but I’m proud of my body and like to show myself just the way I am. When I was in my teens, I weighed nearly 100 kilos. I have lost more than 50 kilos since then — that’s like knocking off a whole human being! When you lose so much weight, there will naturally be stretch marks. I’m proud of them; they’re a symbol of my struggle. Celebrities aren’t perfect, we have our flaws and imperfections too and it’s high time people realise that.

It must be tough to deal with all the hate you receive online...
Look, these people are trolling you hiding behind some username; you don’t even know whether they’re real or fake. They have no profile pictures. They are just out there typing some sh*t. How can you take such people seriously? In fact, I have only sympathy for such people. Maybe there’s something terribly wrong with their lives. Most of them are probably frustrated in real life and can’t do much about it. So, they suppress all that anger and then vent it out on social media.

Recently, a clip of yours where you said you’re getting married to Salman Khan went viral... What’s the story there?
(Laughs!) Let me clarify. I was asked in an interview what is the best rumour I’d like to spread about myself, and what better rumour than this? There’s nothing more to it.

Funnily, many have this fixation about you and Salman Khan. Many Salman fans even call you bhabhi...
Well, most of those comments stopped after I did Hate Story (laughs!). Thank God for that!

Thanks to your bold avatar you mean? Tell us about that transition from the nice-girl-next-door to a siren...
People generally have this habit of stereotyping you. When I did Veer, people started saying things like ‘Oh, what a pretty girl or a princess’, etc. But it was not doing anything for me. After that, I danced to the song Character Dheela Hai and acted in Housefull 2, but nothing really changed. Hate Story was not an easy decision to make because I didn’t know whether people would accept me in such a bold role. But it turned out to be one of my biggest films. Public perception changes with every film. That’s the best part of being an actor. The plan is to look different in every film.

And yet, some people still say you look like Katrina Kaif...
Oh, not just Katrina. People have said that I look like Jacqueline (Fernandez), Preity Zinta, Pooja Bhatt... I guess I have a universal face (laughs!). There are of course, some stupid people who say stupid things (like fake Katrina), but I don’t pay attention to them.

Accused as an accomplice to the technician who misplaced footage of Zareen Khan's film, cinematographer Faroukh Mistry claims co-producer Anshuman Jha is making him a scapegoat to cover production's negligence
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 19, 2019)

Four days after mid-day carried a report that a bizarre turn of events had hampered the shoot of Zareen Khan's Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, the case has taken a different turn. Digital Imaging Technician Hardik Joshi has been accused of misplacing four-days' worth of shoot of the Anshuman Jha-backed project. But, Joshi, it had been suggested, had informed cinematographer Faroukh Mistry about the developments.

Finding himself in the midst of the evolving controversy, Mistry tells mid-day that the case of the missing hard-drives is linked to the makers' desire to cover their productions delay and negligence. He tells mid-day that the unit had withheld a fair share of information that a cinematographer must have, in a bid to tarnish his image. "The material was lost by Hardik Joshi, a freelance technician who has worked with a number of filmmakers and producers, including Harish Vyas [director] and Anshuman Jha on their last film. Jha and line producer Navey Mittra thought it best to hand over the shoot material to Hardik, who is a junior crew member. He was told to carry the [hard] drives by train over a 36-hour journey from Himachal Pradesh. Mittra insisted that Joshi carry the footage. I was not informed. Mittra and Jha also handed over the rest of the footage to another junior camera crew member, who refused to do so," says Mistry, reiterating that the decision to keep the drives in the hands of junior crew members were being negotiated upon without his knowledge. He states that the production team also knew about the fact that there were no back-ups of the drives that have now gone missing.

"Fourteen days after we got back to Mumbai, Joshi told me he had misplaced four-days worth of footage [in transit]," says Mistry. He points out that the team should not have delayed informing him about the developments. Mistry says, "I hadn't been informed that the drives were being handed out [to the junior crew]. When I got to know of the misplaced footage [14 days later], Joshi was told to inform the production and file a police report. He said he had a meeting with Jha, and a report had been filed. Then he disappeared. If drives go missing for an insured film, the [onus comes] on the producer and the person they hand over the material to. None of this exchange was authorised by me, or even communicated to me. Anshuman and the production unit did not take due diligence to safeguard their footage, like carrying their own material and having a back-up of the footage. I will defend myself through legal measures if need be."

Jha did not respond to mid-day's request for comment.

Zareen Khan with director Harish Vyas and DoP Faroukh Mistry

In a bizarre development, technician misplaces five-day footage from McLeodganj schedule of Zareen Khan-starrer; director lodges police complaint, arranges re-shoot
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; July 15, 2019)

Zareen Khan's next, Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, may have an interesting script. For now though, there appears to be more drama off-screen than on it for the Harish Vyas-directed project. The film's crew, which wrapped up its first schedule in McLeodganj in the first week of July, finds itself in a strange dilemma — Hardik Joshi, the Digital Imaging Technician (DIT) on the film, has misplaced the hard drive that contained five-days of shoot material from the first schedule.

Turns out, he had informed cinematographer Faroukh Mistry of the loss last week, but the director of photography (DoP) chose to keep the matter from the director. Now, Vyas has registered a case of criminal breach of trust and cheating (Section 405 and 420 of Indian Penal Code) against Mistry and Joshi at the Dindoshi police station. A source from the unit of the Anshuman Jha-starrer tells mid-day, "After a month-long schedule in McLeodganj, we returned to Mumbai on July 5. Over the next week, our calls to the DIT converter went unanswered, and he did not show up at the studio either. Finally, we had to go to his house where he was holed up. It then came to light that he had misplaced two 4TB hard drives containing five days of shooting footage and the back-up from our first schedule. Not just that, he said that his boss Faroukh Mistry knew of the development for the past week. However, Faroukh denied any knowledge of this incident."

Confirming the news, Jha says, "It has been an absolute nightmare, but I am hopeful that we will recover the data. I am grateful to the Mumbai Police for their prompt response. I hope they make some headway in the case, else we will have to go back and re-shoot."

The director, in the meanwhile, has already started making arrangements for a re-shoot. "I hope the cops can find the hard drives. In any case, we are working out Anshuman and Zareen's dates for the re-shoot, should the need arise," says Vyas.

Jaspreet Nijher (BOMBAY TIMES; June 29, 2019)

Zareen Khan, who was last seen in the horror film, 1921, talks to BT about playing a homosexual in an underproduction Hindi film, venturing into Punjabi cinema, bodyshaming and why trolls don’t affect her anymore.

While many Punjabi actors are shifting to Bollywood, female actresses from the Hindi film industry are venturing into the Punjabi industry…
For the men, the transition has just started happening, while actresses have been acting in Punjabi films since long. I think the only thing that can hold regional actors back is that they have a fan following already in their own industry, which they can lose if they make the switch, unless it’s a Gippy Grewal or a Diljit Dosanjh. These guys are not just actors, but singers, too. So, for them, making the switch was easy. Some like Diljit did not make the switch (to Bollywood) by compromising on their roots. He didn’t play just another party animal in Hindi films. He kept his turban on for all his roles and still managed to blend with Bollywood, beautifully. Not a lot of people can do that.

You are back again to Punjabi films after six years…
I don’t think ‘back again’ are the right words here, because it’s not that I didn’t want to do Punjabi films. I just didn’t get any interesting offers. Whether it is Punjabi or south cinema, I am keen on doing good work. But, I feel specially for Punjabi cinema, because I love the way Punjabis work. The ambience of the shoot is such that even when you are working, it doesn’t feel like work. It’s a lot of fun and the whole shoot goes by in the blink of an eye.

What is your Hindi film, Hum Bhi Akele Tum Bhi Akele, about?
It is an interesting story of a homosexual woman, a lesbian, and a gay man (played by Anshuman Jha). Whenever the word homosexual comes up, people start thinking of many weird things, but this film is none of that and shows no vulgarity. It is a beautiful story of friendship between these individuals. People carry different perceptions about gay people and this film will really break through that.

Is the film trying to merge the LGBTQ community into mainstream?
The community already accepts us for whatever we are. It’s we who see them as outsiders. For me, to accept this role was about playing a character that means something to me, and helps me grow, rather than an eye candy, running around trees. In our film industry, we live in a time where everyone is comfortable about their sexuality. I didn’t need to study one special person to learn lesbian behaviour. Yes, my character required me to put on weight. I play a girl who is a foodie, so she can’t look like a diva with toned arms and flat abs.

Does gaining weight put you back with body-shaming trolls?
Ugh! That has been a part of my life since the beginning when I had to pack on eight kilos for my first film. Now, I don’t even care about trolls, the sensible people will accept me. As an actor, you can’t look like a ramp model if you are playing a regular girl.