00:00Success and failure will come and go, but I think what truly stays with you is the experience
00:06that you had making a movie.
00:16Om Shanti Om was my debut film and I remember this audition being probably one of the first
00:22times I'd ever faced the camera.
00:27So I remember it just being very going with the flow, trusting my director's instinct,
00:35trusting her, surrendering to her completely and kind of feeling like a fish out of water
00:41numbness where everything around me was new, the camera, the lights, the hair, the make-up,
00:48all of that was new for me so I think there was a lot going on in my mind just
00:51absorbing,
00:53internalizing the process and taking it all in.
00:58One routine or ritual that helps me feel centered before a shoot day is throwing in a workout.
01:06I think for me, exercise and workout, even if it's 20 minutes of cardio, a good workout,
01:12a stretch just helps me feel grounded, it helps me feel centered, it also helps me feel energized
01:17and really helps me take on a day.
01:21Before getting into character, the first thing I do is as soon as I wake up in the morning
01:25with a clear mind before talking to anyone or addressing anything else, just reading the scene first
01:33so that that's fresh in my mind.
01:35Once you've gotten a grip of the character, I like reading the scene before and the scene after
01:40just to give me a sense of where I am as that character on that day.
01:46I think to choose one character that I felt empowered by would be very difficult because I feel like
01:54I've been very very lucky and fortunate to have been offered and you know the opportunity to play
02:00a lot of characters that have been strong, feisty, independent women.
02:07Okay, if I had to choose one, I would choose Veronica from Cocktail.
02:11I think it allowed me to live a life and go through various experiences that probably I'm not inherently
02:21or maybe there is a side to me that's there but not fully there.
02:24And also Piku are two characters that I found extremely empowering and liberating.
02:34In the way that female characters have evolved and in the way that they're being written today
02:41versus when I started off over a decade ago, that is what has changed.
02:45And I think that change has inspired me to bring different aspects to the various characters that I play.
02:52You know, it's no secret that for the most part women just being the garnish or the decoration
02:59or just the sprinkle a little bit of comedy or sprinkle a little bit of sex appeal.
03:06You know, I think transitioning from that to female characters today actually having a voice,
03:11actually bringing about change.
03:14I've witnessed that evolution firsthand.
03:17I've been a part of that evolution and my personal approach has not changed.
03:22It's in the way that these roles today for women are being written, that has evolved.
03:27And through these movies and characters, you're actually able to bring about change in society as well.
03:31A hand on my heart, I don't think there's been any one specific moment where I've felt like I'm bringing
03:39about change.
03:40I have people say that to me. I have directors, producers, critics say that to me, but I don't feel
03:47like there's been one defining moment
03:50and neither do I feel like there's always so much more to do.
03:54I do feel like the leading woman in Indian cinema has come a long way.
03:59It has evolved over the decades and I think we're in a very good place.
04:03Many, many women in many different ways have all come together and that's why we are where we are today.
04:10Do I feel like my choices or my actions have the power to influence?
04:16Yes, I think I'm very well aware of that and something that forms a very important part of my decision
04:22making process.
04:24The one thing that I'm very conscious and aware of is to be honest and to be authentic.
04:31Honesty is there. Authenticity is there. Just be yourself.
04:34But at the same time, you also want to make it a fun experience for yourself and for the people
04:39around you.
04:41I have been very, very lucky and very fortunate to be surrounded by people who have been with me pretty
04:47much throughout my journey,
04:49right from my modeling days to the beginning of my film career, who keep me grounded, who keep it real.
04:55And again, like I said, most importantly, we have fun.
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