Ayesha Takia started her career in films with Tarzan: The Wonder Car. Although the film bombed at the box office, she was lucky to have been noticed and continued to receive offers.
Today, although she considers Nagesh Kukunoor’s Dor as her most accomplished performance, Takia promises she will never do similar serious roles for a long time. She believes in enjoying her work even as she entertains her audience.
Excerpts from an interview…
You are three years old in the film industry, have nine films to your credit and so many awards….
It really feels great to receive an award, but that is not the bottomline for me. When the media, film critics, audiences and people at large like my performance in a particular film, then that becomes the real award for me. Everyone’s appreciation for my work in Dor was my real award.
After a serious film like Dor, you must have been offered many similar roles. Didn’t you feel like following up with another serious character, rather than doing a fun filled film?
It is necessary to strike a balance, otherwise the audience might get bored of seeing me in similar roles. Dor was a film I cherish and I am lucky to have got. I hope I get a lot more films like Dor.
But if I did another intense film after Dor, it would be strenuous for me and my audience. I had to strike a balance with a masala and fun film and then I will probably go back to another serious film.
Looking back at your track record, aren’t you afraid of being typecast in youth oriented or fun loving roles?
Thankfully, there are people like Nagesh and Naseersaab who think otherwise. I am fortunate to have struck a balance and not been typecast.
Can you share something on the short film you are doing with Vishal Bharadwaj?
Mira Nair, Farhan Akhtar and Vishal Bharadwaj are making short films for the Bill Gates Aids Awareness Foundation. The film I am doing with Vishal is a short 12 minute film and also has Siddharth (Rang De Basanti) in it.
It is not a sad film as one would expect a film on AIDS to be. It is a positive film about AIDS that is entertaining, so that one doesn’t feel sad and bored along the way.
In your forthcoming film, Kya Love Story Hai, you have balanced out by playing a relatively fun filled character.
In Kya Love Story Hai, I play Kajal who is a modern independent girl living in a metro city. She wants to go to college, study hard and score well, at the same time, she also goes to work, manages her career and visits the orphanage. In short, she just likes to multi task.
What’s it about this character that appealed to you?
After Socha Na Tha, I had not done a film that was a typical love story, so that’s what appealed to me the most, because I really like doing love stories. Also the fact that, like me, Kajal is also a young girl who wants to work and be independent. I thought it would be fun to play this.
Lovely Singh has struck a balance of commercial and real cinema in this film wherein the characters are real but at times, the film is just outright entertaining.
You seem to be working with a lot of first time directors…
I like working with first time directors because they have a lot of fresh ideas and the energy to make the most out of whatever they have.
The promotions of Kya Love Story Hai started off with you and Tusshar as the face of the film but suddenly all focus has shifted to Kareena’s item song….
Firstly, I do not do item songs and moreover, it is really nice that a song from our film does well. Why would I grudge someone an item song?
What are your forthcoming films?
Sunday, No Smoking, Fool and Final, De Taali, in all of which I play fun loving characters.
Time for another serious role then?
I am looking forward to something worthwhile, especially after Dor. There have been a couple of offers, but none to really fit into my life and the way I look.
