Kriti Sanon has had a hard struggle to get to the top at Bollywood. Having started out as a model, she made her way into films down south, acting opposite Mahesh Babu in the psychological thriller Nenokkadine. Her Bollywood debut with Heropanti was a rather quiet affair, since the film didn’t really do well at the BO. However, she came into the spotlight with the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Dilwale. Now awaiting the release of her upcoming film Bareilly Ki Barfi, the actress chats about the ups and downs of Bollywood and how she’s a simple girl under the polish.
Why the title Bareilly Ki Barfi?
My father has a sweet meat shop in the small town of Bareilly in the film, and the character that I play has quite a sweet tooth. Though the director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari got the idea for the film from the French book Ingredients of Love, the story is actually quite different from the original.
Have you read the book yourself?
I’m not very fond of reading books, so no. I do love to watch films, and I think this will be a good one.
People in Uttar Pradesh who hail from the small town of Bareilly have a particular dialect. Did you have to work on that for the film?
Yes, I did have to work on my dialect and pronunciation a little, just to give the authentic flavour and feel of a girl belonging to UP.
People close to you have often said that you’re very down-to-earth for someone who’s in the glam world. Would you agree?
Yes. I think that I am very simple at heart. I come from a middle class family and I think that that makes me pretty grounded. It surprises a lot of people though. I remember the first time that I met Ashwiny. When she came out of her office to meet me, I was sitting on the ground reading the script with my hair up in a messy bun. She asked me, “Are you always like this?” She’d seen my modelling photos, so she thought I’d be more of a fashionable sort. But I told her that I’d just be exhausted if I had to dress up all the time (laughs).
What was your parents reaction to your becoming a Bollywood actor?
My mom still asks me, “Tu actor kaise ban gayi?” (How did you become an actor?).
They’re flummoxed since I don’t like getting dressed up or wearing make-up like most other actresses do. My mother calls me jhalli.
Do you think that the way the industry treats you changes with every hit and flop film?
There is a positive attitude overall from your filmy peers whenever your film does well or an actor or actress proves her acumen in a film. But it’s exactly the opposite with flops. Instead of offering support, there’s just a negative reaction from filmmakers. Directors need to judge an artiste by his or her talent and not the how their last film did. The attitude of “you’re only as good as your last film” needs to change.
