C OVER STORY
AB: I now plan on making this an annual thing.
SB: Now that you’ve brought up Shaandaar... this is the
first time you haven’t gotten what you wanted from a
film. What bothered you the most about it?
AB: That there was no love for the film. It was very difficult, like it was excruciating pain. Even though people
were saying, “You were good, but” — for me it ends at
“but”. I’m not one of those actors who would say I did my
job well so that’s enough; I’m a team player.
SB: Did you have a clue that it would turn out that way?
AB: No, because you lose objectivity. I knew that a certain
audience wouldn’t like it but I didn’t think... I don’t know, I’ve
always been wrong. When I saw Humpty [Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, 2014] for the first time I thought my career was
over, but
that film
was
so
loved.
SB: What
did
you
take away
from the
experience?
AB: I’m really happy
that it finally happened,
a c t u a l l y.
It was like
ripping off
the BandAid,
because
I
had not had even one film not do well and people were
always like, “Aapki toh har film chalee hain,” and I’d be
crossing my fingers, touchi–banging–JUMPING on top
of wood. But you have no control. This is a Friday-toFriday business and you are as good as your last film.
SB: I thought your performance was fantastic, but I can’t
be objective about you.
AB: But we say the hard things to each other? In fact, as
a family, we say the hard things more easily; we refrain
from saying too many good things to one another.
SB: Yeah, definitely. Especially because of what you do
for a living, I think it’s important. You’re around people
who are only building you up all the time...
AB: Yeah.
SB: But when you’re at home, you’re so normal I forget
you have this whole other life. Are you different when
we’re not around?
AB: I try to keep the acting only for the camera. I mean, I
slump my shoulders off-camera. I am very much myself.
SB: You’ve always been extra confident about how pretty you are, but when you started SOTY, you were really
insecure about your body. You’ve only become confident
over the last year or two…
AB: I’ve surpassed the “I want to lose weight” point because... I have lost weight. I’ve been on this healthy lifestyle for two years and it’s just become inherent now.
I recently turned vegetarian and I go to the gym every
day. The difference is, I’m no longer doing it out of force,
I’m doing it out of joy. So it’s not stressful for me. Insecurity is not the point anymore. It’s about awareness now:
How am I feeling today?
SB: Except maybe your obsession with your arm and
how fat it looks?
AB: (Laughs) I worry about how I can improve my posture and my grace now — that’s become my new thing,
I feel like I’m not a very graceful girl.
SB: You still have your cheat days, where you’re like
what bad thing can I eat today!
AB: Which is sugar. It’s the worst, but it’s fine.
SB: Because we share food, our food habits rub off on
each other. When you lost weight for SOTY, I lost 10
kilos with you.
AB: Yeah. And we motivate each other, too. When we’re
in London on holiday even, you’ll be like, “Alia we have
to cycle in Hyde Park and have one cheat meal only.”
SB: Our annual London trip. We always look forward to
that...
AB: Yeah and because you’re an insomniac, you’ll stay
up all night making a list of all the items on like, Carluccio’s menu that are under so-and-so many calories. If
we go to Chipotle to have a burrito, you’ll tell me, “Don’t
have the wrap, don’t have the rice, don’t have the guacamole,” so I’m basically just eating the beans! We make
our holidays like work for each other, we stress each
other out. And that’s the way we like it.
SB: Yeah that’s like our time. I’m looking forward to us
moving in together next year because it will give me
much more one-on-one time with you.
AB: Do you think all our time apart has brought us closer?
SB: I think so. And has created a lot of problems in our
relationship, where lots of snide comments go out from
my side every three days...
AB: Every three days.
SB: Like “Do you live here any more? I’m going to rent
out your room.”
AB: (Laughs)
SB: But we don’t really fight much. Even if we spend like
20 days together and we’re sick of each other, we’ll snap
at each other for three seconds and then we’re done.
Why do you think that is?
AB: I think we’re on one team, so it’s very hard to stay
angry if you’re on the same team. If we fight then one of
us will try extra hard to make up because we can’t stand
the uneasiness. Because this, right here, is our happy
place. Who would want to disturb their happy place?
“Boom pays special thank to shaheen bhatt, for such a
wonderful interview”.
28 | BOOM