The vivacious Preity Zinta will be seen again, this time, in a glamorous, bubbly role in Yash Raj Films’ Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. With this film, Zinta has come full circle – after a gap of nine years, she has worked with both director Shaad Ali and co star Bobby Deol. In a coversation, the actor talks about her experiences doing JBJ.
Excerpts:
Tell us something about your character in the film.
I play Alvira Khan from Lahore in the film. Even though she is from Lahore, she refuses to accept the fact that she is a Pakistani living in London. She is more British then the Queen herself, and that is the fun part.
There is a lot of layering to her, as Alvira is actually a very endearing girl, but she is not the typical heroine with salt on her nose. She has this attitude and image about herself and she is so into that image about herself that everything else dilutes the equation. I think it’s one of the most mad and totally energetic and crazy characters that I have played till now.
Your character comes across as very glamorous, something on the lines of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna…
As an actor, I would want variety in my career, in my life. In KANK, I play a much more serious, sober, bit more groomed and a little older character. In Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, it’s a younger character, and also more glamorous. The credit for putting that character goes to Shaad, Adi and Aki Narula, who makes such great costumes.
What was it about the script that made you decide to do this film?
I think it was the madness in the script. This was the first time that, when the script was narrated to me, I didn’t have any problems with it. It is very fast, it moves well. It is really funny and it has got great humour.
How was your experience working with director Shaad Ali Sehgal after nine years?
Shaad and I started our careers together. He assisted Mani Ratnam in Dil Se and I did Dil Se as my first film to be released. I think nine years down the line, we have come full circle. Now, he is directing this film and I am in it. Shaad is one director who is very unassuming.
He also has this madness in him, which translates into his cinema. You will see a mad streak in me, Abhishek, Lara and also in Bobby and that’s purely because Shaad has directed this film. If it was was any other director, you wouldn’t have seen that streak!
Shankar Ehsaan Loy have scored the music for a lot of your films…
Shankar Ehsaan Loy are my lucky music directors. They did the music for Dil Chahta Hai, KANK, Kal Ho Na Ho, and these are all films of mine in which the music has been outstanding. It’s gone down well with the audiences and I think they have upped their quotient with Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, because they are so good in this movie and the variety they provide is remarkable.
How was it working in a multi starrer film?
I started my career with Bobby, he was my first co-star. So this film has been quite an emotional journey in a sweet way, because I worked with both Shaad and Bobby nine years ago. Abhishek is psychotic, he’s crazy and I love working with him. Lara, I have never worked with, but she is a very sweet and very hard working girl.
We all got along very well and I think when you see the film you will realise how well all of us clicked.
About Mr Bachchan, what can you say about him except that he is like God and I just love him.
