Daisy Shah entered showbiz as a dancer and as an assistant to choreographer Ganesh Acharya. She also dabbled in modelling. Daisy got her first break as a lead actor in the 2011 Kannada film Bhadra, and followed it up with another Kannada film, Bodyguard. After making special appearances in a few Kannada and Tamil films, she made her Bollywood debut opposite Salman Khan in the 2014 movie, Jai Ho. And, in 2019, Daisy entered the Gujarati film industry with the movie Gujarat 11. Cinema Journal caught up with the actor at an event organised for Shabina Khan’s Reality In Reality, for which she has joined hands with Tejal Pimpley, founder of B You, for a quick chat about mentor Salman Khan, her love for dance and her web debut. Excerpts from the interview:
You made Bollywood debut with the Salman Khan-starrer, Jai Ho. Do you consider him as your mentor? And, do you belong to the Salman Khan camp?
Salman sir is my mentor, I am his protégé and will remain so. And, about ‘Salman camp’, yeh camp banata kaun hai? We never consider ourselves as a part of any camp. We are individuals, and form bonds with the ones we work with, and consider them as our family. I would say I am immensely loved by Salman sir’s family. And, I will always be grateful for the support I received from them. Camp is a wrong word to use. There are no camps. Everybody is an individual and free to do whatever he/she wishes to do.
You’ve worked with Shabina Khan for many years. What was your first impression of her?
When I first met Shabina, many years ago, she was an assistant to masterji Ganesh Acharya. And, my first impression of hers was, ‘She is such a superb dancer!’ Little did I know then that she will be the one to teach me dance. Shabina taught me to be consistent and never lose hope.
What does dance mean to you?
Dance is a personal expression. At times it happens that we don’t have words to express how we feel, but dance can bring forth our feelings… You feel happy, sad, or family celebrations... dance be used to express several emotions.
What tips would you like to give aspiring dancers?
Think positive, eat healthy food. Make sure you keep yourself engaged in physical and mental activities to keep your overall well-being in check. And most importantly, take some time off for yourself, and love yourself, because only then will you be able to excel in your work and better your craft.
What’s happening on the film front?
I have three films lined up — one is complete, and is in post-production phase. Another one is a romcom titled, Bulbul Marriage, and the third one Tattoo, which is a murder mystery. Then, I am also making a web debut with a series based on the coronavirus-induced lockdown.
