(MENAFN-Khaleej Times) Vidya Balan and Farhan Akhtar take us down a well-travelled road while promoting new romantic comedy Shaadi Ke Side Effects in Dubai
Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan did not require much convincing to sign on for their new movie Shaadi Ke Side Effects because they were confident of each other’s talent. On a chilly Saturday evening, Farhan and Vidya dropped into the Khaleej Times office to talk about their romantic comedy that is set to open in the UAE this weekend. Vidya Balan kick started the conversation by revealing her special bond with Khaleej Times. “It feels wonderful as always to come to Dubai. Walking into Khaleej Times has been very special for me. Two years ago when I got the National Award for The Dirty Picture, it got announced just before I walked in here. Even today when I was walking in, it brought back memories.”
Right now, though, all her thoughts are on Shaadi Ke Side Effects. Vidya who got married 14 months ago to Siddharth Roy Kapoor, Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company India, tells City Times that her husband is quite excited to see this film. “He enjoys the promos and trailers. He is really looking forward to the film and he just keeps telling me, ‘please do not try any of these lines on me’!”
The actress continues, “For me personally it’s been a different experience because I have not done this kind of breezy film ever. So we are excited. I am saying ‘we’ because I feel your (Farhan) excitement. (Points towards Farhan Akhtar who had been sitting quietly) It is so palpable. So I think I have enjoyed working on this film, I can’t say I have enjoyed all of it (Points towards Farhan jokingly again) But seriously I have enjoyed working with Farhan - let me tell you even before you ask me!
It was a treat to see the costars pull each other’s legs and at the same time ensure we knew how they respected each other as individuals and actors. As artists both of them are powerhouse performers, who have not allowed themselves to be compartmentalised. Vidya explains: “I just like to prepare for my roles and maybe there are some specifical skills that you require for certain roles. Basically I ask the directors all sorts of questions much before I go on sets, so on set one is just reacting emotionally. Having said that I was looking forward to working with Farhan because for one I always admired the wide variety of things that he is fabulous at and also as an actor I love his style of acting. It’s almost like a non-performance; it is so real, you cannot tell whether he is like that as a person or whether that is the character he is playing. So especially on this script it was required because it derives from real life situations. I knew I would come away with a decent performance because acting is about reacting and if you are placed with an actor like him you are assured of good performance. (She tells Farhan, “you can smile now”). The actress laughs while telling us that Farhan gets uncomfortable when she praises him.
Farhan adds, “Each film demands some other way of approaching characters. With this film I felt very comfortable because it is set in the kind of world that we are part of. It is a Mumbai based film; it’s about a middle class family. That is more or less the kind of how we are in real life. The language in the film is the kind of language we use, so it was very comfortable to get into. And again the script is very entertaining and engaging so that always helps to just go with the flow. Working with Saket (Chaudhary, director of the film) and Vidya was pleasurable. Like Vidya said, she is my fan! (everyone laughs)
“When Saket told me that Vidya is doing the film I felt a tremendous amount of relief because the film is inherently about these two characters and a lot of the scenes are at home with a child so that relationship had to be very comfortable. It had to be somebody you could trust because trust has to show as a part of the relationship, the respect that you have for the other person should show on screen. I felt the casting was very crucial and when I read the script I asked who is playing the wife’s part and when he said Vidya has consented to do the role I felt really good about it for more reason than just her being a good actor. I felt that we could do some good work together.”
Both the actors admitted that they had no trouble identifying with their characters since they understand the perspective that comes with the experience of being married. No doubt the title of the film begs its own question. Vidya agrees, “Like you said the title just draws you in, it inspires you to ask that question. If I were a journalist, I would have asked the same question: “Tell me the side effects of marriage.” Farhan jumps in, “That’s also the reason I am saying no to so many films regarding playing a serial killer, to avoid those parallels.”
Bollywood actresses have for long been forced to take on roles that showcased their youth, but as many recent movies have shown, the current lot of heroines have no qualms in playing a married woman. “I think for the longest time, if you were a woman then there was no place in Hindi films for you. You had to be a girl. That I think is changing whether you are playing a married woman or a mother. Now those things matter less and they never mattered to me because I am interested in the role, if its an exciting role and that is how she is, that’s fine with me,” admits Vidya.FARHAN ON A HIGH
Farhan Akhtar who debuted his singing skills in Rock On!(2008) has sung two songs for this film as well. When asked about the challenges of playing a role and rendering a song for the same project, the actor replied: “Actually weirdly enough you have to perform in your songs as well. There is an emotion attached to it, so you have to start feeling that way when you hear the song. But it is a very calming experience being in the studio because more often than not it is stress free. I enjoy making music tremendously. This is the first time I am working with Pritam as well,” the actor says.
It has been a productive year for Farhan Akhtar who has swept all possible awards and accolades for his performance in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. So how does it feel to walk away with the trophy at every awards function? “I just feel they should end it (award night) slightly earlier than they do, as my Parsi timing forces me to sleep by 10.30-11 pm! But it is a very nice feeling to receive recognition for your work. You feel your fraternity, people you admire and work with turning around and telling you, ‘Well done’, so it is a very special feeling. Not everyone will get four years in a row like Vidya Balan! She is a bit bored with it now...” and then tongue-in-cheek, “so she allows others to take the trophy home now!”
Recipient of a National award, five Filmfare awards and Padma Shri by the Government of India Vidya Balan says that she related with this character hugely and it was challenging for her to do this role because it was so simple that it was so real.WOMEN ON TOP
In the last few years’ actresses have been redefining their roles in Bollywood and pushing the boundary to demand equal space as their male counterparts. Vidya Balan is seen by many as the face of that change - she has challenged the Khans of Bollywood by giving blockbusters like The Dirty Picture, Ishqiya, Kahaani etc
Vidya Balan: If there is any contribution on my part then of course I feel very happy to have been given the opportunity to be a face of change. But there are lots of people who are affecting that change and change does not happen over night. It happens over time, so there have been people working towards it, there are people who are trying such scripts, there are people who are putting in their money and faith. I feel happy that I have been given the chance to be the face of change.
Farhan Akhtar: Its wonderful when somebody comes along who is willing to take that chance on a new talent, on a different kind of script, work hard and ensure that it is creatively successful but the truth is it doesn’t happen a lot and what Vidya has done is, she has redefined the lead female roles in movies. It is a very healthy thing because there is a certain culture that is propagated through films as well and it is nice if there is an equal balance of everything, When I look at Zoya (Akhtar), the kind of films that she has made have very strong female parts like in Luck by Chance where Konkona’s character says no to the guy because she felt betrayed by him as opposed to saying, ‘Oh, you are the hero of the film, so let me take you back.’ Similarly when you see Katrina getting on a bike and chasing down a guy and kissing him in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, it is not something that you see in a typical film and it immediately talks to you about empowerment and your own identity. It is nice to see that happening.
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