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Desi News Corp - Desi News - Feb 09 - Index

star TREK
When she was
selected to
play the lead
opposite superstar
Shah Rukh Khan in
Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi,
Anushka Shar ma’s
happiness knew no bounds.
“When Aditya Chopra
asked me about the movie, I
couldn’t control my joy. At the
same time, I knew I had to
deliver as I was working with a
very big production house.”
The very first film Sharma
saw in a theatre was Dilwale
Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and she
couldn’t quite believe she’d be
acting opposite SRK.
“But I was confident that I
was in the right hands, that
people like Adi and Shah Rukh
would bring out the best in me.
I will always remember the first
day of my shoot as the day I
met Shah Rukh for the first
time! He charmed his way
straight to my heart.”
She was nervous facing the
camera. “Imagine 70-80 people
surrounding you! I was petri-
ANUSHKA SHARMA
“It’s silly to compare me with Deepika Padukone!”
fied I’d go completely blank.
And you won’t believe me, but
the truth is that I didn’t
recognize Shah Rukh as he was
in Suri’s attire!”
The character of the sober
Suri appealed more to Sharma
than the character of the
flamboyant Raj.
“The toughest scene for me
was the one in which Raj tells
me that we should run away
and I start crying. Shah Rukh
is such a fantastic actor. He
makes the romantic scene look
so normal, so natural, so different
each time. When I felt a
little shy, he made me feel so
comfortable.”
She was confident from the
very beginning that the film
would do well.
“I’m the sort of girl who
normally doesn’t expect too
much, but this was being made
by Adi! The best thing about the
film, I think, is that it drives
home the message that simplicity
is the core of our country.”
Sharma had braced herself
to the comparisons being
drawn between her and Deepika
Padukone, who was also
launched opposite Shah Rukh
Khan.
“I find it quite silly, really. I
just don’t understand the
comparison. I think it’s unfair
to compare a debutante to
somebody who’s already done
three movies. Deepika and I
have a few things in common
– we are both from Bangalore,
both are from modelling
background, both debuted
opposite Shah Rukh, etc., but
still, comparisons are neither
fair, nor credible!”
Sharma’s father, an officer in
the Indian army, was supportive
of her passion for modelling
even though she began
when she was just 15.
Initially, she was reluctant to
shift base from Bangalore to
Mumbai because she felt the
opportunities to pursue modelling
were better on her home
turf.
Now, however, the acting
bug has bitten her.
“I am now in love with
acting!” says Sharma.
“I am committed to working
with Yashraj Films for two
more films after Rab Ne Bana
Di Jodi. I am open to any kind
of role that comes with a good
script and a good director!
Though I have played the role
of a housewife in my first film,
I am keen on playing glamorous
roles in other films. I
want to essay all kinds of roles
and prove my versatility as an
actress.
“I am glad that I have been
accepted by the audience and
my performance has also been
applauded. I could not have
asked more from Rab up
there!”
– V. ANANTH
All because
of Anushka
Talking about his makeover
as Surinder Sahni
for Rab Ne... Shah Rukh
Khan says, “I would walk about
on the sets and nobody would
recognize me. People who’ve
known me for 20 years would
just look through me. It was
eerie; a taste of things to come
when I am no longer a star and
nobody will recognize me and
I will miss it!
“Anushka is amazingly confident.
May be I am getting a
little what people call stylized
and repetitive in my acting.
Working with Anushka made
me realize there is a whole new
way of enacting a scene. She
kept me on my toes. I think she
has done a wonderful job. We
really needed a new actress for
this film.
“The film becomes believable
for Suri and everybody else
because of Anushka.”
February 2009 Desi News 41