Ameesha Patel’s latest release Gadar 2 is wreaking havoc at the box office. In the film, she has reprised the character of Sakina (from Gadar: Ek Prem Katha) and is seen once again opposite Sunny Deol. The Free Press Journal caught up with the actress for an exclusive tête-à-tête. Excerpts:
What is your viewpoint on the amalgamation of flash forward and flash back gelled wonderfully. What is the winning point of Gadar 2?
Jeetey (Utkarsh Sharma), our son’s emotional departure to Pakistan to get back his father Tara Singh. Sunny and I are very selfless. I didn’t want my director (Anil Sharma) or the team to feel that Ameesha hasn’t done well. Also, it was clear that Sakina will not go back to Pakistan as we didn’t want to give people a repeat film. I guess, when an actor is less selfish and looks at the film in totality, then you are making your film with your heart and soul.
How do you look at your roller coaster journey in this industry?
It’s been a very heartening feeling Sakina still gets that love and respect from her fans. I immerse myself into all my films, even the ones that didn’t do well at the box office, like I never wanted my fans, my directors to feel that Ameesha ne kuch kaam nahin kiya. If for any reason I have done a film I do it for some reason or the other. Some may work while some may not work. My work, my attention to my character will always be there. I look for different things.
What according to you are the reasons for films flopping right, centre and left?
If you notice nowadays they plan a project which they want to complete in just 30 days no one is working on its story. If they have the dates of the actor/star, they decide to make a film. Since corporatisation has changed Bollywood so much. Earlier we waited for the dates of the actor even for two years or more. Similarly, if a heroine fits the casting, they would wait as they understood that right casting is like half the battle won. Now, they are okay with posting their photos on Instagram from the sets. Most films are not being watched in theatres as nobody is interested in the end result. Our courage played off well in Gadar 2 as we took interest in story, music, characters and remained true to the seed of the story.
Why don’t we see you regularly in films?
I hope we get good opportunities now with the world of cinema opening up to justify whatever I get to do. There is so much I have yet not tapped. I attempted comedy with Yeh Hai Jalwa (2002) with Salman (Khan). But I want to do out and out comedy and a spy thriller. I want to play a lawyer in a courtroom drama. I would like to go into that Mughal era or a Chola dynasty times film. There is a lot of untapped talent. But Bollywood is not making those films where heroines even have significant roles.
Ameesha is interested in OTT but…
“I would love to do good OTT films/series. The OTT work offered to me in the past had a lot of nudity and a lot of abusive language as well cuss words. I’m not comfortable with it because that's not my personality and I don't think my fans would like to watch me using abusive language. For them I'm more elegant, soft and sweet. I can play powerful roles like Humraaz (2002). But I don’t think they want to see me giving maa behan ki gallis or doing sexually explicit scenes. That’s not my character at all. They want to retain that image. From a family audience girl I can’t suddenly break that. Families have loved Sakina and Sonia. I don’t want to break that love and respect,” she avers.
