Showing posts with label Reena Khan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reena Khan. Show all posts
My father and I are control freaks. It’s in a good way-Ira Khan
8:00 AM
Aamir Khan’s daughter Ira Khan talks about making her debut as a theatre director
Hasti Doshi (BOMBAY TIMES; November 21, 2019)
Ira Khan, daughter of actor Aamir Khan, is all set to debut as a director with a Greek theatrical play, Medea. In an interview with BT, the 22-year-old talks about her future plans, which include working in Bollywood and directing her father. Excerpts...
Your father is an actor and we usually see children following in their parent’s footsteps. But you have chosen to be a director. Was acting never on your mind?
I have always been very clear about wanting to get into direction. I do not want to act, as I don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera. Also, I don’t think I am a very good actor. Had I wanted to be one, I would have worked towards it, but I feel that production and direction are more interesting.
What were your childhood aspirations?
They still keep changing. There was a time when I wanted to be a painter, and then a teacher. At one point, I wanted to play football professionally. Then there was a phase when I wanted to be a photographer; in fact, I recently got myself a camera. I have even thought of becoming a farmer and setting up an animal shelter. In short, you name it and I have thought of taking it up as a career!
Having so many aspirations, at what point did you decide to be a director?
I haven’t decided yet, as I am going to be multiple things in life, and for now, I am into direction. I used to be a part of inter-college plays and had even directed this play when I was in college in the Netherlands. When I came back to Mumbai, I took up production work and one day, when I was at Prithvi theatre, I just felt that this stage was perfect to direct Medea. I chose this particular story because its plot and characters are interesting. The story does not belong to this age, yet the issues discussed in it are relevant even today.
How involved are your parents (Aamir and Reena) in your career?
They pretty much let us decide what we want to do. They just make sure that we are doing something good and not just sitting on a couch and watching TV. If there are any questions or suggestions, I do ask them, but otherwise, we are free to choose our own path.
If you get into movies, which genre would you like to direct?
Anything but horror (laughs!). I am very scared of horror films, so I don’t want to touch that genre. I would love to direct an action film.
Any particular actor you would like to work with?
It’s interesting how every time I watch a film, I think of how I would make the actors do certain scenes. So far, there’s no one actor on my mind, I’m excited to direct anybody at this point.
Do you wish to direct your father some day?
Maybe some day, when I have a better understanding of the craft. Working with somebody you know personally can be complicated, and that’s not specifically for my dad, but applies to everyone. I want to be sure of myself before I work with my dad because he is really well read, like everybody else in the family. So, when I’m sure about myself, I will think about directing him.
Being so young, how do you handle actors or difficult situations on the set?
Everybody has been nice to me on the set and they have all taken me seriously. I was worried initially, but there have been no such issues. As long as I am making sense and know what I am talking about, I don’t think that actors really care if I’m young or not.
What is that one quality you have picked up from your father?
My father and I are control freaks. It’s in a good way and I don’t mind being one. Once we are given some work or project, we are focused on it and forget everything else around. Like right now, I am directing this play and that’s all I have been doing for the past few months.
We hear your brother Junaid is interested in acting, is it true?
Yes, he is interested in acting.
You have been quite open about your relationship with musician Mishaal Kirpalani on social media...
I am okay talking about it. These things depend on individuals, whether they want to be open or not is their choice.
Sorry, we do not want to be referred to as star wife/girlfriend
8:12 AM
Meena Iyer (BOMBAY TIMES; September 15, 2015)
There's an uprising in
Bollywood. Not only are A-list actresses unhappy with the fact that they
get paid less than one quarter of what their male counterparts do, many
of these successful women are also annoyed that they get referred to as
just 'Mrs so and so', or 'Superstar's girlfriend'. This has been bugging
the daylights out of the women who are thinkers and achievers in their
own right. Gone are the days when a woman in Bollywood was happy to bask
in her partner's stardom.Katrina Kaif, who was recently promoting Phantom, saw red when someone referred to her as Ranbir Kapoor's girlfriend. In the decade gone by, Kat has earned her stripes as a Bollywood superstar; she has also made it to Madame Tussauds and has many such achievements that have nothing to do with whom she is dating. To then refer to her just as Ranbir's girl is a bit misogynistic.
Her Phantom co-star Saif Ali Khan also rose to Katrina's defence when he said that there was more to Kat and his own wife Kareena Kapoor Khan than their roles as someone's partner or wife. Saif was absolutely vocal that they should not be asked questions about their role in the kitchen or when they will deliver babies. His simple point being - they have also scaled pinnacles of success and so, should be treated like professionals.
While it may be incorrect to just generalise and say that most yesteryear star wives were content with revelling in their famous husbands' glory, the contemporary film wife is a different species. Take the examples of women like Reena Khan and Sussanne Roshan. When they reckoned they had irreconcilable differences, they held their heads high and made dignified exits from their marriages to superstars Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan.
And there are still others like Twinkle Khanna who allowed her personality to bloom personally and professionally. Twinkle, who always enjoyed intellectual pursuits, has a fan base because of her writing and also has a thriving interior decoration business. The columnist-author was recently quoted saying that she finds it ridiculous that a woman's identity is based on who her husband is, or the nature of his job.
Likewise, actresses like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan too are not content with just being trophy wives. With each passing day, they uncover a personality trait and a steely resolve to continue with their conquests in the sun, not necessarily through their heavyweight marital surnames only. So, get ready to roll out the green carpet for the new Bollywood woman, whose goals go beyond that ghar ka aangan.
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