Ash: "Working with Vivek was a lot of fun"
by: Jyothi Venkatesh
- bollyvista.com
'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?' will be Aishwarya Rai's twentieth film as an actor. Believe it or not, till date nineteen films of hers have been released. They are, 'Iruvar' (Tamil), 'Aur Pyar Ho Gaya', 'Jeans', 'Albela', 'Aa Ab Laut Chalen', 'Dhaai Akshar Prem Ke', 'Kuch Naa Kaho', 'Josh', 'Kandukonden Kandukonden' (Tamil), 'Mohabbatein', 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Taal', 'Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai', 'Shakti', 'Dil Ka Rishta', 'Hum Kisise Kum Nahin', 'Devdas', 'Choker Bali' (Bengali) and 'Khakee'.Interview Excerpts:
What lured you to say yes to the offer to act in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'?
The main reason why I agreed to work in Sameer Karnik's 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?' is that I was keen on taking up a project, which is light hearted, breezy entertainer. As an actor, one tends to listen to ten different good scripts but it is not humanly possible to accept each and every one. I thought it would be a challenge for me to do three different roles and hence I accepted 'Choker Bali' in which I had to work in a Bengali milieu, 'Bride And Prejudice', which had an International milieu and hence a new experience for me and 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?', which offered me a big relief after doing intense and serious roles like in 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam', 'Devdas' and 'Choker Bali'.
How was the experience of doing a negative role in 'Khakee'?
Working in 'Khakee', in a negative role, was an eye opener for me. I learnt something new after doing the role, which was different from the parameter of what a typical Bollywood heroine gets to do.
To what extent did you come to terms with playing a comedic role in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'?
It felt like it did the first time I did the negative role in 'Khakee'. It was the first time, perhaps in my career that I have done a comedy like 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'. I feel that it is difficult for an actor to do comedy because you have to be creative, since it is very difficult to evoke a smile.
What kind of homework did you do to prepare yourself for your role in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'?
I had a blast working in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'. I have a good sense of humor. As a person, I often tend to look at the flip side of life, though it does not necessarily mean that I am flippant. I had an absolutely good time working in the film because I enjoyed being a part of the project, which also had Amitabhji in it. He kept Vivek and me in stitches throughout the making of the film. If I am not having a good time, it shows in my performance.
How was it working with Vivek as a co-star?
Working with Vivek was a lot of fun. It was the first time that I worked with him. Earlier, I had worked with experienced and senior actors like Sanjay Dutt, Anil Kapoor, and Ajay Devgan. It was also the first time that I worked in a film, for which there was sync sound, whereas Vivek had already done 'Saathiya'. The highlight as far as KHGN is concerned is since we were all on the same level when on the set, it brought out the right spirit in each one of us, including Amitji.
Can you elucidate about your role in 'Kyon...! Ho Gaya Na?'?
I play the role of Diya, a regular girl next door who believes in the concept of love. She is a die-hard romantic who believes in the concept of seeking her Mr. Right whereas Vivek in the film believes in having an arranged marriage. How the two, who are at opposite poles come together forms the crux of the subject, which is different from the usual stereotyped scripts.
How was it working with Amitabh Bachchan in KHGN?
It was a joy working with Amitabh Bachchan. It is actually my fourth film with him. I've done 'Mohabbatein', 'Hum Kisise Kum Nahin' and 'Khakee' with him. Amitji has always been nice towards me. We have shared a nice camaraderie right from the time I did 'Mohabbatein' with him. I can feel his affection for me. It is always a big honor to work with Amitji. The best thing about him is whether he is working with Rajji or a second-generation director like Sameer, his approach towards his work is wonderful.
What is your personal relationship with Vivek Oberoi?
I have never made an attempt to conceal my relationship with Vivek. We like each other. We are supportive of each other. What's more, he respects me and I respect him too. As a true friend, he has stood by me whenever I have faced crisis of any sort. It's an honest relationship and we enjoy our association but at this stage I do not want to give our relationship a fixed definition.
