Sonakshi Sinha Daughter Of Shot Gun Entering in Bollywood
“I’VE BEEN TOO SHELTERED AND PROTECTED”
PRESENTING THE STAR KID WITH THE ‘WOW’ FACTOR
What’s in a name?” wondered Shakespeare. Well, ask Sonakshi Sinha and she will tell you exactly how much weight it holds in an industry teeming with hopefuls. Not one to bank on her father’s name (Shatrughan Sinha) though, the young girl has worked hard on herself before taking the final leap into the big bad world of Bollywood. Starting off as a designer, she realised how important it was to stay fit. It may have taken her a while to shed the extra kilos, but her hard work paid off when she bagged modelling assignments for some of India’s most prominent designers, walking the ramp at the Lakme Fashion Week. Now with a role opposite Salman Khan in ‘Dabangg’ in her kitty, life couldn’t get much better for this stunner.
These achievements didn’t come easy and the lovely designer-cum-model-cum-actress is eager to relate her story. ”While I was in fashion school we were sent as volunteers to assist at the Lakme Fashion Week. My first job was to work 14 hours a day showing people to their seats! I was an usher! I would watch every show, everyday of the Fashion Week and always think to myself what it would be like walking down that ramp. It was a fleeting thought at the time because I looked like an inflated balloon and was wearing 38 waist jeans! Luckily for me, there were a lot of people who saw potential in me and encouraged me to lose weight. One of them being Salman Khan. It was only after he explained the bigger picture (pun intended) to me that I took things seriously and started my weight loss regime. It took me two years, but I was 30 kilos down and pretty damn grateful for it!”
Sure she has had her share of struggles, but Sonakshi has no qualms about admitting that her father’s influence in the industry has helped her bag the role in ‘Dabangg’. “My father and Salim uncle have been good friends and associates for the longest of time. It’s because of their relationship that our families have connected. Salman has always seen the potential in me and egged me on.
Once I was ready, it was Sohail who insisted that I be cast in this film and that’s when Arbaaz approached us. ‘Dabangg’ is the kind of film that will give me an opportunity to bring out the side of my personality no one has seen. What’s special about it is that it allows me to step out of normalcy and play a character that I’m not even close to in reality. I didn’t think that would happen in my first film itself, but it has. It’s the complete package that appealed to me. Right from the subject, to the director, to the banner! It’s like a home production!”
But wasn’t she worried about the ‘age difference’ factor between her and Salman? “The age difference is justified in the script itself. Besides, all the superstars today are in their 40s! The fact that they’ve survived this industry for so long makes them who they are. Deepika made her debut with Shah Rukh, Katrina’s churned out some hits with Akshay and Asin made her Hindi debut with Aamir. I wasn’t sceptical at all. People dream of debuting with stalwarts like these, I have no reason to complain!”
Another possible setback for a newcomer could be the fact that she’s playing a village girl. Going de-glam for your debut isn’t exactly the tried and tested way in Bollywood. But Sonakshi doesn’t really care, “In today’s time, what is safe? You can never tell which movie is going to run, for what reason, and for how long! Our audience has become extremely wise and yet unpredictable! And it’s my first film. Not my last. The character in this film requires me to be a certain way, in my next film it won’t! When I was modelling, the glamour quotient was very much present there, so people know that I can fit into both worlds with ease! I’m not missing out on anything. My journey’s just begun. Just because I’m not taking the route everyone would expect me to take, doesn’t mean I won’t get there!”
When it came to choosing her debut vehicle, she certainly did not take the route star kids usually take. She could have got her father to launch her; instead she chose to star in Arbaaz Khan’s home production. “My father is a self-made man. He had no godfather in this industry. I’d like to tread in his footsteps. Although I can’t do much about the footing he has in the industry, I can work around it to find my own. I already have the high expectations and comparisons to deal with so I’m glad I’m doing my first film with an outsider. It’s just more professional and won’t give people the chance to say that everything went her way. He’s my father and it’s obvious that he’ll always be there, whether he makes a film for me or not! That’s just something I won’t expect him to do or take for granted.”
But what about when it comes to working with her father, would she have inhibitions performing in front of him? She quickly dismisses this suggestion, “My father always used to say ‘Confidence thy name is Shatrughan Sinha’. Recently he’s started saying ‘Confidence thy name is Sonakshi Sinha’. I get that from him. He is my strength and my weakness! I would love to work with him. He is so full of insight and experience. If I had any inhibitions, he would help me lose them. If he saw my confidence flagging, he would give me one of his pep talks and bring it right up. I’m really looking forward to working with him at some point in my career.”
Clearly her father has a lot of advice to pass on to her, and the young actress is keen to absorb all the advice he has to offer. “My father loves the actor in him and is always telling us something or the other about acting. Especially now since Luv, Kush and I have chosen this as our careers. He wants us to do well and offers us whatever he can bring to the table in terms of experience and encouragement. He’s always been a people’s person and we’ve watched him deal with all sorts of people, even politically. We’ve paid attention to his ways right from the start and I think that’s helped tremendously to mould us into the people we are today – reflections of our father.”
So what was it like growing up with the famous Shotgun Sinha? “Growing up was the most normal experience for me. My brothers and I were never spoilt, never made to let the fact that our father is a superstar go to our heads. If we made a mistake, we paid for it, learnt from it and moved on. As much as our father pampered us, our mother made sure we stayed grounded and level-headed! Being the only daughter, I’m the apple of my father’s eye. I do tend to use that to my advantage and he knows it, but doesn’t seem to mind at all. Our relationship is the most easygoing and I love the fact that I see so much of him in me. I have to admit I haven’t seen all of my father’s films but whichever films I have seen, I would watch them over and over again because I was completely in awe of him, my father is my hero! ‘Kaala Patthar’, ‘Vishwanath’, ‘Kalicharan’, ‘Khudgarz’, ‘Khoon Bhari Maang’ are my favourites to date!”
Her father, however, is known to be pretty conservative. So when the question of intimate scenes comes up, Sonakshi gets her guard up. “Yes, my father is very conservative, but then so am I. There’s no rule stating that you can be glamorous only if you wear skimpy outfits, which I can confidently say, I won’t ever do. That’s just not me as a person and I don’t think I would want to do something that I’m not comfortable doing. The background I come from, I am answerable to a lot of people. My family name comes first and that’s that. I would not compromise on that for any reason whatsoever. And that’s the reason why every offer that comes my way is screened by my parents. If they think it’s suitable for me, only then does it come down to me. And I’m quite happy with the way it’s working out.”
What made her decide to shift to acting all of a sudden, was it the lifestyle or the fame and fortune? “I have never really done anything for a reason other than my interest in it. After modelling, acting beckoned in the form of an opportunity I did not want to miss a good script, talented director, and being cast opposite a superstar all rolled into one. Very few people get that opportunity. Most people go looking for it and here it happened to fall right into my lap. Who am I to foil destiny’s plan for me? As far as the lifestyle, money and fame is concerned, all that is so secondary at this stage in my life because I’ve been born into it. I’ve seen the fame, fortune and adulation thanks to my father. But since they do come along with the profession I’ve chosen, I’ll treat it as a bonus.”
Was acting something she had a natural inclination for, or did she have to work at it? “I never worked towards being an actress and I believe acting is something that can’t be taught. If you count the two years of hard work that went in to lose all the weight, and the hours at the gym I put in now to maintain it, then yes, it’s a lot of hard work. You have to look and feel your best so that your performance is not affected. Now that I’ve started shooting, I feel like the performance part of it was a natural inclination. I like the camera and I’ve been told that it likes me back, so things are looking good for me! Before giving my first shot, I had the same feeling before I stepped onto the catwalk for the first time—unfazed!”
Usually, debutants pursue filmmaking and assisting filmmakers before they start off. But Sonakshi never went down that road. “The question of learning filmmaking or assisting filmmakers never arose because the transition from fashion to cinema was so quick for me. I never intended to become an actor; it’s something that happened by chance! I studied what interested me at the time and that was fashion! After that came modelling and then the offers for movies from which I chose ‘Dabangg’! But yes, when it comes to acting, I do have my ideologies set. Acting is just behaving a certain way. I’ve learnt a lot just by observing people closely—their gestures, nuances, stances and attitudes. If you’re able to mix and match these and fit them to a character you’re playing, I believe you’re set.”
But what about those dance and diction classes? Weren’t they part of her preparations? “I love to dance. Luckily for me, I have been able to pick up things very quickly. So for the longest time I’ve been exploring different dance forms. Right from jazz, to hip hop, to Bollywood. I’ve also trained in Kathak for a year. Since the decision to become an actor was so sudden, there was no preparation involved. When I signed ‘Dabangg’, Abhinav, my director, would run me through the script and I had a very talented voice trainer, Ms Rama Vaidyanathan who I worked with for about two months before I started. They weren’t exactly diction classes, but she taught me how to control my voice, train it and deliver dialogues.”
For any newcomer, criticism can be a very scary word in the dictionary. Has her father inculcated the repercussions of coping with bouquets and at times, brickbats too? “Being born into a film family, I think we’re bred a little differently from most people. Our parents have been dealing with controversies, praises, link-ups, false information, and adulation right from the start so we’ve learnt how to take it in our stride and treat the good and the bad just the same! If one day someone’s writing good things about you, it would be foolish to get used to it and expect the same in the future because that rarely happens, and the same goes for the bad. The one thing my parents have always told me is to turn a deaf ear to the things that are being said about you and let your
work do the talking.”
As a child she probably had to face several such situations, what with her father’s constant link-ups. She insists though, that her parents didn’t let any rumours affect her life, “My childhood has been absolutely normal. In the younger years I was kept away from the goings on in the industry so I was pretty clueless. When I was old enough to understand the things that were being said about my father, I had learnt to take it in from one ear and out the other! My mother has stood by him and been exceptionally strong through everything that has been said and written about it. I’ve learnt how to do the same from her!”
Well, surprisingly she’s already had a tryst with the rumour mills. What with stories in the media claiming that she refused to walk the ramp with actress Neetu Chandra because she was a B-Grade actress. Clarifying this issue Sonakshi denies this point blank, “The designer who I was walking for had never even approached Neetu Chandra to walk for her so the question of me passing such a snide comment never even arose. People who know me, know that my upbringing is better than that to even say something so demeaning about anyone! I’ve never met Neetu and certainly have nothing against her! I think this was just a PR stunt being pulled off at my expense.”
Having been brought up amongst the industrywallahs, by now she’s probably well-versed with how the industry works. But she rubbishes this suggestion completely and retorts, “I sometimes feel like an outsider. I’ve been too sheltered and protected from the big bad world, but now I’m starting to figure things out as I’m stepping into it. You have to be thick-skinned and extremely strong emotionally if you want to be in this industry. More recently things have become more professional, which is a great thing to have happened. As far as the people are concerned there will always be people trying to pull you down, but you’ve got to have your blinders on and work towards the goal you’ve set for yourself. But then, this is the case in every walk of life.”
As far as friends in the industry are concerned, she claims that she doesn’t have many. “Most of them are acquaintances. And the few close friends I have from the industry are because we think alike or because of our family ties. I’m a very private person, and my lifestyle and temperament doesn’t match that of an average star son or daughter! I have my small set of friends, who I keep very close to me and am extremely content with them.
They’ve been around for the longest time and have grown up with me. They are the ones who have seen me grow as a person and are the ones who keep me grounded.” Elaborating a bit on her personality she explains that unlike the image people might have of her, she’s an extremely private person. “I like keeping to myself. People assume that coming from a film family, I probably follow their ways. Party all the time, socialise, wear only branded stuff, shop till I drop and stuff like that! But I’m completely the opposite. I go for parties only if I absolutely have to. Most media appearances I make are because I’m accompanying my parents to an event. Other than that I like staying home, meeting my small set of friends who have been around for the longest time, working out, watching movies, spending time on my computer, you know - the regular stuff!”
So according to her, is being a star daughter an advantage or a drawback? “It comes with its share of advantages and drawbacks. People, having seen my father on the silver screen for so long, obviously show some curiosity and enthusiasm for the next generation. Things definitely do come by much easier than they would normally. People know not to mess with you. The drawbacks are the heightened expectations, if which you don’t live up to, you’re a loser. Then come the comparisons in every aspect to your famous parents. Acting ability, personality, looks etc. those are definitely not easy to deal with when all you’re trying to do is find your own place and create an identity for yourself. How long can you be known as so and so’s daughter or son?”
Obviously her father’s fame cannot guarantee her success in Bollywood, so is she looking at modelling and designing as a back-up plan in case acting doesn’t work out? “I was actively involved in designing and modelling purely out of choice. Because I loved what I was doing. Right now I’m enjoying my first few steps as an actor immensely. Whatever I do, I drown myself into it and give it my best. I’ve chosen acting, and I see no reason for me not to do great guns! Once I’m done with acting, on my own terms and conditions, I will get back to designing. Not as a back-up, but because I want to!”
Competing with the likes of Asin, Deepika, Kareena, and Katrina, just surviving in the industry would be a task in itself. What is her plan of action to stand apart in the rat race? Brimming with self-confidence she replies, “I’ll survive exactly how Asin, Deepika, Kareena and Katrina survived in the time of their predecessors! Let’s not forget they were all new to the industry at one time. The Hindi film industry is vast and I believe there’s place for anyone who has their own individuality to bring to it. Every person contributes in their own different way and there’s only the audience to please. If they like you, nothing can stop you.”
Kick-starting her career with the Khans, does she think she’s in safe hands? “I couldn’t be in safer hands!” she exclaims, “Salman, Arbaaz and Sohail have tremendous respect for my father and have always treated me as a member of the family! I don’t believe I could’ve started off with a better production. They’re all so easygoing and amazing human beings. I’m completely at ease around them and I think that’s really important for a newcomer—the comfort level with her co-stars!”
Moving on to the future, I wonder if she has a favourite genre she is likely to stick to, but she denies it. “I don’t have any particular favourites! I would choose a movie based on the whole package. The script being most important! I would do a comedy and a thriller if the subjects were nice and strong! I’m only just beginning my career and have a lot to explore. So I don’t want to shut off any avenues just yet. As I start doing different movies, I’m sure I’ll figure out the things I’d like to do and those that I won’t, so until then, I’m open to everything! But ideally, an actor should be able to do everything that comes his way, so ultimately that’s what I’m going to strive for!”
Shatrughan Sinha and Amitabh Bachchan may have patched up recently, but the war between them was a much-publicised debacle. Would this come in the way of her working with the Bachchans in the future? “Why would it? Whatever happened was between them as individuals. We have been brought up to think for ourselves. To me they are all fabulous actors and it would be great to work with them!”
When I ask her to name some of the other actors she looks up to, she gives me a long list! “There are so many actors I like and for so many different reasons! Konkona Sen Sharma for being so effortlessly natural and her impeccable choice of movies. Salman Khan for being an excellent entertainer and simply being the amazing person he is! His sincerity reflects in his work! Hrithik Roshan just because he’s so, so good-looking and anyone who can dance like that makes it to my list! Kareena Kapoor because how she’s grown as an actress over the years amazes me! She’s always working on herself! Shah Rukh Khan for the powerhouse of energy and charm that he is! Ranbir Kapoor, Rani Mukherji, Akshaye Khanna, Vidya Balan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar... My list is pretty long!”
Before I sign off, I ask her to tell me the one most important decision she made that changed her life. Pat comes her reply, “Ha! Most people would probably think this is a difficult question, but it’s an easy one for me! The decision that changed my life was to lose weight! Once that happened, everything just fell into place. I was feeling so much more confident and content with myself and then followed modelling and acting! I’m not saying its really horrible being plump... I enjoyed my food. But nothing tastes as good as fit (fit not skinny) feels!”