February 4th, 2009
HINA KHAN tells JYOTHI VENKATESH that it is quite tough for her to get into the mould of a girl in a traditional Marwari family because she has had an entirely different culture altogether since she hails from a Muslim family.
Tell me about your background
Basically I am a Muslim girl from Srinagar. I am not at all from a film family and frankly I do not even have an acting background though I had always dreamt of taking up acting as a career. Right from the time I was a tiny tot, I was very eager to take up acting. I should say that I am fortunate enough to have been singled out by producer Rajan Shahi to play the lead in his latest serial Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai.
How did you bag the offer to play the main lead in the serial?
Though initially I did face some problems because I hail from a Muslim family from Srinagar, I managed to convince my dad who went out of the way to encourage me to take up a career in acting. When I was studying in Delhi for Management, people told me that there were auditions for the serial and I went for the audition for a young girl to play the main lead in their serial. Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai is my first serial as an actress.
What is the serial all about?
To put it in a nutshell, the serial Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai will act as a balm to present day breakdowns in relationships. It is a story of love finding its way after an arranged marriage and how two people from different walks of life bond and blossom together after entering into the sacred ties of matrimony.
Tell me about your role in the serial?
I play the role of Akshara. Akashara is the only daughter in the family in three different generations and therefore is heavily adored and pampered by every one in the entire family. Though the rules and regulations for her are the same as they are for others, Akshara knows her limits and does not disobey rules of her elders. She is very simple and naive and does not know anything at all about what love is.
What brief was given to you by the director of the serial?
The brief given to me was that I was very close to my grandmother, played by Vinitaji Malik and also a crazy fan of Hrithik Roshan and Mahinder Singh Dhoni. Though Akshara has strict dos and don’ts, as far as her home is concerned, she is also pampered by all the family members. After her arranged marriage, Akshara discovers what love is gradually.
How good were you academically in college?
I was just an average student. Even while I was studying, I was actually secretly waiting for the right break as an actress. I was adept more at singing and painting than studying. Considering the fact that I have heard of several stories about people struggling to get a good break in the word of entertainment, I should say that my story also reads really like the story of Cindrella.
How did you prepare to get into the skin of Akshara?
I should say I had to prepare hell of a lot to get into the skin of the character of Akshara for the serial. More than my own ability to emote, it is Rajanji Shahi’s conviction in me though I have not learnt acting that has enabled me to give my best to the role as an actress. Rajanji sent me to Amardeepji Jha for two weeks to train in acting before the serial was launched
How confident are you as an actress right now?
Frankly speaking, I am still very nervous on the sets because I am learning new things about acting every day. It is quite tough for me to get into the mould of a girl in a traditional Marwari family because I have had an entirely different culture altogether since I hail from a Muslim family. However I should say I am quite happy because I have been able to realize my dream of becoming an actress so soon, without really having had to struggle for a break.
To what extent, do you relate to Akshara?
To a large extent, I think I can identify myself with Akshara. I can relate to the character of Akshara that I am playing in the serial because I like many qualities that she has, which I genuinely feel that I do not have in me. Though Akshara is not chirpy, I am. Like Akshara, in real life, I too am a cool, carefree and pampered a lot by my father.
To what extent do you depend upon the director as an actress?
I am quite a novice as far as acting is concerned. I feel it is just the beginning of my journey as an actress and hence I need guidance now from every quarter, more so from my director. I am yet to gauge myself whether I am a natural actor or a method actor. You can say that I am in the process of trial and error as far as acting is concerned.
Tell me about your favorite actors and actresses in Bollywood?
My all time favorite actor has always been the one and only Amitabh Bachchan and my ever green favorite among all the actresses is the chirpy Kajol
Since you hail from Delhi, you must be missing not only your parents but also your boy friend back there?
Sorry to disappoint you but the fact is I miss only my parents and friends but not my boy friend for the simple reason that I, in the first place, do not have any boy friend at all.
Like Akshara, do you also believe in only arranged marriage?
Unlike Akshara who opts for an arranged marriage, I for one, do not have any pre fixed notion about what kind of a marriage I would go in for. I feel it is too early for me to even think of marriage since I want to focus on my career as an actress. I would like to keep my options open and hence I would rather state that I believe in both arranged as well as love marriages.
