Showing posts with label Isabelle Kaif interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Isabelle Kaif interview. Show all posts
Isabelle Kaif supported me in dance sequences, I helped her with the language-Sooraj Pancholi
7:55 AM
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; March 16, 2021)
You both have firsts associated with Time To Dance. While it’s Isabelle’s first Bollywood film, for Sooraj, this is his first dance film. How did the two of you gear up for the project?
Isabelle: I enjoy dancing, especially hip-hop. The film, however, required me to explore ballroom and Latin dance styles. I definitely hadn’t attempted ballroom dancing before.
Sooraj: I am a fairly decent dancer, but I had never tried Latin dance form. I was surprised to know that it had 10 different forms of dance styles. So, it was extremely difficult to learn these styles. Thankfully, though this was her first Bollywood film, it was Isabelle who made me comfortable on the sets, because she is a better dancer than I am. While she supported me in the dancing area, I tried my best to help her with the language (Hindi).
Isabelle, you began your career in showbiz with international projects. When were you bitten by the Bollywood bug?
Isabelle: Bollywood has been on my mind since childhood. I have seen so many Hindi movies… I can’t tell you how many times my mom made me watch Lagaan (2001). I also enjoyed watching Kajol’s movies. She is my favourite actress.
Isabelle: From a very early age, she was sure that she wanted to pursue a career in acting. I was definitely influenced by her journey. I was a dancer when I was young, and when I saw Katrina acting in movies, it helped me broaden my interest. It is then that I started doing theatre. That’s where I discovered my passion for acting, and even as a kid, I always had that bug in me to be a performer. Seeing Katrina do it gave me further courage to give it a shot. I began as an assistant director and worked on music videos, web shows, ad commercials and movies while in the US. I have also worked as a line producer, but honestly, that profile was not my thing. When I came to Mumbai, Katrina told me that I have to work really hard. She’s told me that it’s always a bit bigger (larger-than-life) in movies than in real life.
Sooraj and Isabelle, Salman Khan has been a mentor to both of you. Do you reach out to him often for guidance and inputs on how to navigate your career in Bollywood?
Isabelle: He’s always helped me, given me great advice and has been extremely encouraging and supportive. When I was starting this project, he asked me to work hard on my lines and performance.
Sooraj: When the film wrapped up, Isabelle and I had met him on his birthday. He is, of course, a very busy man, being one of the biggest stars of India. So, I don’t like to bother him much. I think the battle is my own and I can’t ask for more. What he has done for me is more than enough.
Isabelle, you featured in Salman’s production venture Dr Cabbie in 2014. Why did it take you so long to make your debut in Bollywood?
Isabelle: Sometimes life takes a different turn than expected. You can make plans, but life has other plans for you. I was keen to do Bollywood films, but I was just taking up whatever opportunities came my way.
The first quarter of the year has seen the release of your debut film and you will follow it up with Kwatha opposite Aayush Sharma and Suswagatam Khushaamadeed along with Pulkit Samrat. Isabelle, do you feel like you have arrived in Bollywood?
Isabelle: No (laughs!). I think it takes a little more hard work and a lot more releases to feel that you have arrived. I feel like I am getting started. Yes, it feels good because I love being on a film set. Making films is a fun, collaborative process.
Katrina Kaif is amazing with action-Isabelle Kaif
8:14 AM
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; April 21, 2018)
When you meet Isabelle Kaif, you notice that she is similar in some ways to her older sister Katrina Kaif, yet is different in some aspects. While Kat takes time to open up, Isabelle is more talkative. However, both of them are focused on their respective careers.
Isabelle, who was first seen in the Canadian romantic drama Dr Cabbie (2014), is all set to debut in Bollywood with Time To Dance opposite Sooraj Pancholi.
Over a cup of coffee, she talks to us about her film choices, dance and more.
How many projects were you offered after Dr Cabbie?
There were some offers that weren’t so great and others where the makers wanted to start immediately, but it wasn’t possible for me to leave everything and shift here within a month.
There have been rumours about you doing a Hindi movie since a long time. How did you react to them?
I would be so confused about those reports. I would be like, ‘Which are these films that I’m doing and why don’t I know anything about them?’
Was it a conscious attempt on your part to attend an acting course?
I liked acting, but I was always shy. So, Katrina told me I should go to college, take up an acting course and see for myself if I enjoy it. That would help me get rid of the shyness too. Because getting on set and finding out that I don’t want to do this would be a little too late (laughs). So, it was a conscious decision.
When did you finally realise that you wanted to pursue this?
It was after I did my first play. At that point, we were just a week or so into the course. When I acted on stage, it was a different high for me. We were hitting every line perfectly and ended up getting a standing ovation. I just knew this is what I had to do, in whatever capacity I’m allowed to.
Are there any roles that you veer towards?
I don’t think I’m the funniest person in the world, so comedy scares me a little. People laugh at me rather than with me (laughs). I have always veered towards drama, maybe because in theatre, it was so much prevalent. I have done epic love stories, classics and I have enjoyed that space. I’m also drawn towards action.
Just like your sister?
Ya, totally. One of the first classes I had signed up for was action. There was stage combat where they teach you how to fight, sword fighting and stunt training, etc. Katrina is amazing with action.
How did Time To Dance happen?
Discussions started when I was in the US and had sent some audition tapes. The makers asked me to come over to Mumbai. Around the same time, a leading cosmetic brand was looking for a face and they signed me. Later, I met director Remo D’souza and everything fell into place. That’s when I decided to commit full time to the job and shift here.
You are training rigorously in different dance forms now...
Yes, Sooraj and I train for almost 10 hours a day. We are doing 12 different dance forms and each of them has a different musicality and technique to it. I’m excited because we are trying to do some cool drops and spins in this film. And I am like, ‘Sooraj, you better not drop me because if you do, I am going to limp back and kick you!’
How would you rate yourself as a dancer?
As a kid, I was drawn towards Jazz, Modern Ballet, Hip Hop and Tap Dancing. Today, I’m definitely a better dancer as compared to my school days. Hip Hop makes your moves sharper while Bollywood dance gives you fluidity.
Do you agree that now dance films today have a different audience altogether?
Yes. Although we dance in every single film of ours, we don’t have something like the Step Up franchise. It was Remo sir who created the ABCD: Any Body Can Dance series and his movies have done so well that I feel now is the right time. People are interested in the genre, so it’s just about delivering a good film that they can connect to.
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