Asin

“Akshay doesn’t come with any baggage or ego problems”

By Ankita R Kanabar 

(This interview was published in the December 1 issue of Super Cinema) 

She’s enjoyed stardom down the south, but now, Asin can boast of an equally successful Hindi film career. She’s not very old in the industry, yet she’s worked with the best people. Having worked with the likes of Aamir Khan, Ajay Devgn, Salman Khan, and Akshay Kumar, she’s certainly giving a tough fight to other actresses. In fact, we wouldn’t really be surprised if her contemporaries would envy her. Not to deny that most of her films have proven to be blockbusters at the box office. Comedy seems to be her forte, and she has made an impact in Hindi films, with her little stint. It’s hard to not notice her on-screen, with that kind of a dynamic presence, even though she’s next to the heartthrobs of Indian cinema. She’d proven her acting prowess just with her debut Hindi film, but, Asin believes that she has a long way to go. She has no qualms about doing multi-starrers, as long as she gets a well-written, fleshed-out role. The actress, is extremely calm, composed, sorted, and seems content. She’s smart when it comes to answering questions. And we can say, she’s a favourite of her co-stars. For now, Asin is all over, promoting her upcoming film ‘Khiladi 786’, that sees her with her ‘Housefull 2’ co-star Akshay Kumar, yet again. She talks about ‘Khiladi 786’, working with Akshay Kumar and her choice of films.

While ‘Khiladi 786’ is essentially about the Khiladi – Akshay Kumar. Tell us about your role in the film.

For that you’ll have to watch the film. Essentially, I’m the Miss Khiladi in the movie which was fun doing, as in I’m the latest Khiladi heroine, after my predecessors. Also, in this film, I play a Maharashtrian girl for the first time, the name of my character is Indu Tendulkar. So, this is the first time that I was learning Marathi, and knowing about their culture and everything. That was fun. She’s not a delicate darling kind of a character. She’s quite rough, quite confident. And unlike mine and Akshay’s last film ‘Housefull 2’, we get to share a lot of screen space in this movie since we’re the only lead pair in the film.

This is your second film with Akshay. You seem to have a great rapport with him…
Yes, I think we have this very comfortable rapport, and for that, all the credit goes to him. He’s such a big star, but he’s never made me feel like he’s a big star. He doesn’t come with any baggage or ego problems. He’s one of my most favourite co-stars. And the fact that we’ve done back-to-back films this year – ‘Housefull 2’ and ‘Khiladi 786’ – is a proof to the wonderful working experience we have. Even while shooting, he’d always crack jokes and make us laugh. And no! No pranks so far. (Laughs)

Since your debut film, you’ve always worked with all these great actors – be it Aamir or Salman, Ajay or Akshay. How has it been?

I feel blessed that I’ve had these kind of films coming my way and the superstars of the industry are working with me. I feel lucky. Having said that, that’s not the only criteria for me choosing a film. First, I actually see the script, director and producer when I sign any film.

Most of your films have made place in the ‘so-called’ 100-crore club. Does that build pressure for you?

I’m just glad that most of my films have been successful, thanks to God, and everyone’s well wishes. But I don’t really believe in this 100-crore club or take any of these tags seriously. My focus is just on the character that I’m playing, and I think we have the producers and the rest of the people thinking about all that. It’s their headache. As an artist, my job is to focus on the role given to me. Also, you know, I obviously don’t come with a guaranty that my films will do well. There’s no formula as such. I just like to enjoy working with a good team and great people, and that’s my factor of choosing a film. Moreover, I usually do films that are fun, emotional stories that could appeal to a large audience, and that’s probably why my films have worked well.

While it’s the era of ‘women-oriented’ roles, you’ve mostly done hero-centric films. Didn’t you fear being typecast? What kind of roles are you looking to do in the future?
You know it would be nice to do a women-centric film and role. It would be really nice if I get such a role. But for me, it doesn’t matter if the film is a multi-starrer or hero-oriented. I would like to do any character that is very well-written and fleshed-out. At the end of the day, I strive for artistic satisfaction, creative satisfaction. People ask me as to why do I keep doing multi-starrers, but I’ve only done two multi-starrers. And honestly, I’m very proud of both these films because they did well, and more importantly, I’ve developed such a wonderful rapport with so many great actors and people, because of these films.

Are you happy with your little journey from south films to Hindi films?
I couldn’t have asked for more. I’m extremely satisfied with the roles that have come my way. And I’m glad that those films have also proved beneficial for people who’ve worked with me. It’s not a very easy transition from south to Hindi films, because the audience is completely different for both. Plus I think, I’ve just started out. It’s not like I’ve done a lifetime of work in Hindi films. So, hopefully things shall get better, and I will just learn to strike a balance between various roles and genres.

Are you still open to doing films down the south, or it’s just Hindi films for you at the moment?
I shall work for south films too; it’s just that I’m waiting for exciting projects. I’m still very new to Hindi films, so at the moment, obviously, my priority and focus is here. I think that’s a very natural progression. But it’s not like I’m completely ignoring the south. If I get an interesting script, I shall do it.

Any other projects that you’ve signed post ‘Khiladi 786’?
There’s nothing that I can reveal at the moment (smiles).