In an exclusive interview given to Bombay Times, Shruti Haasan said everything about her you would like to know. She also spilled the beans about her equation with ‘Welcome Back’ star cast and her role in the movie. Read the divas interview given below.
Tell us about your character in the movie…
I play this girl Ranjana, who is Uday’s (Nana Patekar) sister. She is a sweet yet naughty girl who is in love with Ajju (John) and wants to marry him. John plays a gunda in the film and has to act like a shareef guy in front of my onscreen brothers, Nana sir and Anil sir. We hatch a plan to do that which leads to chaos as the crazy plot unfolds.
Tell us about your character in the movie…
I play this girl Ranjana, who is Uday’s (Nana Patekar) sister. She is a sweet yet naughty girl who is in love with Ajju (John) and wants to marry him. John plays a gunda in the film and has to act like a shareef guy in front of my onscreen brothers, Nana sir and Anil sir. We hatch a plan to do that which leads to chaos as the crazy plot unfolds. They say they have seen and liked the first part, which is a plus. I approach every film as a new project, be it a sequel or a remake.
In Welcome Back, you fall for John, who is a roguish guy. Do you like such guys in real life too?
Absolutely! I like men who are roguish in their own way. Mujhe shareef ladke ache nahin lagtey. Main bore ho jaati hoon. If you don’t have a little chaat masala in your lassi, you won’t have fun. I wouldn’t like a doodh se dhula hua ladka. I wouldn’t fall for a dishonest person, but a guy, who has a little bit of rowdiness, is always fun to be with. I am a little rowdy, so I like guys like that.
What can your fans expect from this film?
I try to attempt different roles. My character in Welcome Back is nothing like Gabbar Is Back,which is a good thing. This is a complete slapstick family entertainer. I haven’t done something like this in Hindi cinema before. Hopefully, my fans should like it.
Does comedy come easily to you because of your father, who has done some great work in this genre?
Comedy comes easy to me, so does tragedy. I enjoy both these genres a lot and feel comfortable with my scenes. Our house has always been full of humour. But my comic timing doesn’t come from my father. Blame it on my own weird sense of humour.
Most Bollywood comedies cast actresses as eye candies. Is that the case here?
In Welcome Back, there are a lot of characters, so everyone gets their own space. My character is not an eye candy. She adds to the fun element of the film. It’s because of her that John and Anil sir interact.
What kind of comedy films do you enjoy watching?
Anchorman and Padosan are my all-time favourites. Peter Seller’s The Party was my parents’ top pick. We ended up watching it many times over. I love straight up comedies, where there is no holding back.
How was it working with John?
This is my second film with John, as we are also working together in Nishikant Kamat’s next. There is an amazing comfort level with him and he is an absolute pleasure to work with. Though he is a prankster on set, there is also a polite side to him. We got along well and our off-screen friendship translated on screen.
You are sharing screen with veterans like Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia. Were you ever intimidated?
When you’ve grown up with Kamal Haasan as your father, you don’t get intimidated easily. But of course, Nana sir is a genius. Anil sir is one of the most positive and energetic people I’ve worked with. He has been in the industry for so many years, but still remains so enthusiastic about his job. Paresh sir brings in a positive energy, which is incredible. Naseer sir is a legend. To watch him is such a learning experience. He is also very calm and a lot of fun. Dimple ma’am is my ‘jaan‘ and I love her. She is one of the coolest women ever and is so talented and beautiful. She was such a bundle of joy.
You call her your jaan?
When I was growing up, I wanted to be like her. She is cool and content with her life and equally positive and strong. She is opinionated but doesn’t force her judgements. I aspire to be like her.
The team must’ve pampered you on set, considering you were the youngest.
I am usually not pampered and don’t look forward to it either. Working on this film was like going on a school trip. With such an elaborate cast, it felt like a whole family going for a camping trip, with packed theplas and papad in tow.
Who cracked you up most on the set?
Anil sir was the funniest. He has a wicked sense of humour.
What is your sense of humour like?
It can’t be printed. Call it risque, but it is hard to put in words. I guess my friends know it better.
Do you ask your parents for feedback, every time your film releases?
I value their opinion a lot, but never actively reach out to them for feedback. Recently, my dad complimented me on my Telugu film, which he felt was well done. But that was a casual remark. I don’t ever ask him to go and watch my movie. My dad always wishes me luck when sees me going for a shoot and I do the same to him. When we are together, we obviously make an effort to watch each other’s movies. Their opinion counts for me but what matters more is the audience’s verdict because they are the ones who’ll go out there and buy tickets for it.
