GLAMOROUSLY SERENE
First acting, then singing and now dancing – What more do you have in stock?
I want to do everything. You have one life to live. I don’t know whether I love dancing or singing. I even love acting. Ek life hai.Jitni bharas nikalni hai… ek hi life main nikal do.
Did ABCD 2 help you in showcasing your talent for dancing?
I used to feel very shy to dance in front of people. I was waiting for the right opportunity to overcome my shyness and ABCD 2 helped me to overcome it. Iske pehle main sirf bathroom mein dance karti thi. Mirror ke samne apne kamre mein aur apne parents aur friends ke samne masti mazak mein. Birthdays pe dance karti thi. I was not confident enough to dance on stage, I used to feel shy. I was waiting for the moment to dance on stage for long and finally I got the opportunity to showcase my moves in ABCD 2.
How did you manage since you are not a professional dancer?
I don’t know whether I managed to do it or not. We all did many rehearsals. For five to six months, we actually danced. You can dance only if you are passionate about it. We all love dancing and we all attempted it. Agar aap music feel kar sakte ho then anybody can dance.
What would you like to say about your career graph? You started off with Teen Patti which did not do well. Aashiqui 2 however, turned your career around.
I actually did three films before Aashiqui 2. And I am proud of all of them. If I hadn’t made my debut in Leena Yadav’s Teen Patti, I wouldn’t have done Aashiqui 2. Teen Patti gave me a taste of failure – then followed all the rejections from other projects. I was replaced in some films. Then my character in Aashiqui 2 got me so much attention and I think
I actually had the best start. Getting the taste of failure in the beginning was the best thing because it prepared me to handle Aashiqui 2 and to make it successful. Had I achieved success after my first film itself, then I would not have known how to handle failure, but now I know how failure feels. I know how it feels when people say that they have done a flop film. Actually you know the best thing that has happened here is that I can handle ups and downs. But at the same time now I feel like that I have to work a lot harder and I am not left with any choice.
How do you react to criticism?
It depends on what is it and where it’s coming from. My biggest critic I would say is MohitSuri. He tells me things straight to my face. I know it’s an honest feedback. But there are people who will criticise you for the sake of it and somewhere you too are aware of your weaknesses. It depends on how I take it; as healthy as I can and positively. Not always believing all of it.
Would you rather pick varied roles for the fear of being typecast in a certain image or stick to a genre of your forte?
I want to be as versatile as I can. If you look at some of the most successful actors today, Priyanka Chopra for instance, is truly versatile as an actor. That’s the key to being memorable in the audience’s mind for a longer time.
What is your take on success?
It’s wonderful! No doubt. I’ve found myself cut off from my family. I’m in and out of my house with hardly any time for a hug for my parents. I communicate with them more on the phone than in person. Every time I go out of the house, I get a hug from my parents, saying they are proud of me. That keeps me going through the whole day. Just to see them glowing with pride when they look at me is my biggest reward. Every child wants to make his/her parents proud. If I have succeeded, I am blessed. To see them smile makes my day.
Contemporaries you admire?
Priyanka Chopra. I’m a huge fan of hers.
Is there any film you wish you had done?
I would say Ram Leela because I am a huge fan of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Actually any of his films, but I’ll say Ram Leela because it was very huge, had an Indian element and was a wildly fun film.
Are you affected by the false reports and rumours about you?
Yes, of course! I am not one for false news reports at all. Good or bad, but untrue reports embarrass me, no matter how flattering they are. Gossip about my personal life just makes me so sad.
What is Shraddha like off-screen?
I am a shy person in real life. I am not a very social person. The only people I open up to are my family and close friends. Over the years, I have become more vocal, but at the core I am a reserved girl. Many a times I think that I should change myself and become more expressive. People keep telling me to be a certain way as I am an actor, but if I don’t have anything to say I can’t. I come out as a shy, nervous person and a little out of place because I need time and my space to become comfortable with someone.
Just to see my parents glowing with pride when they look at me is my biggest reward. To see them smile makes my day.
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