Hansika
Most of us remember Hansika Motwani as the child artiste in movies like Koi... Mil Gaya and the hard-hitting Jaago.
But the actress has grown up, and has now made her ***** debut in Himesh Reshammiya's Aap Kaa Surroor: The Moviee: The Real Luv Story.
Hansika looks nothing like the cute little girl we saw earlier. The 16-year-old has turned into a beautiful woman. She talks to Narendra Singh about her film.
Just 16 years old and Hannsikaa Motwani is already a leading lady in Bollywood. Going by her performance in Aap Ka Suroor – The Real Love Story, the teenager comes across as a mature young lady raring to give other actresses a run for their money. Here's her take on how her career is shaping up.
I've always been a Himesh fan: Hansika Motwani
Q. How was your experience on the sets of Aap Ka Suroor?
A. It was wonderful. We shot most of the film in Germany. The only thing that bothered me was the cold.
Q. How was it working opposite Himesh Reshammiya?
A. Wonderful again. I felt comfortable shooting with him.
Q. Do you like Himesh with the cap on or without it?
A. Well…, I would say he looks good both ways.
Q. Would you rate Himesh a better actor or singer?
A. I have always been a fan of his singing. Now he has proved that he is a good actor too.
Q. You were already doing well in your career. Why did you approach a numerologist and change the spelling of you name?
A. Himesh advised me to change my name's spelling from Hansika to Hannsikaa. He has said that my career graph would climb better than the way it has till now. And you can see that my debut as a heroine has made an impact. I am flooded with offers. Himesh himself is a good astrologer and numerologist.
Q. You have acted in lot of serials in the past. Would we ever see Hannsikaa back on television again?
A. I have loved acting in both media -- television and cinema. I can't tell you about the future but as of now, I would be concentrating only on films.
Q. What are the things you look for before signing a film?
A. Of course, that my role be central in the film. As for Aap Ka Suroor, I was sure that Himesh would definitely make a good film.
Q. You have been lucky to have worked both in the south, as well as in Bollywood. It's said that the southern industry is much more organized. Your take on that..
A. No doubt, the southern industry is much more organized. But I am comfortable working in Bollywood. It feels near to home and my own people. My mom has always helped me lead a disciplined life so I always make sure that I fulfill my commitments on time. Even our Aap Ka Suroor team was very organized and we completed the film in three-four months.
Q. Child artistes are fairing well in the box office when they grow up. Kunal Khemu and now you are good examples. Does being a child artiste work in one's favour?
A. Yeah, it does help as you are not new to facing the camera. But even then you have to prove your talent as an actor.
Q. What according to you is good cinema?
A. I am very small to judge cinema. I am still on the learning curve.
Q. What are the other projects you are working on?
A. Plenty of them are coming up. But it would be too early for me to speak about them. Let them be surprises for the audiences.
Q.You were kept under wraps before AKS released. Why?
If I were to talk to you before the release of the film, I would have had hardly anything to talk about. Now, when the film has finally hit the theaters, you can ask me more questions. Now, I can talk more about myself and my role in the film.
Q.Did you sneak into any cinema hall to gauge the audiences' reaction to the film?
The film has just released and hopefully in three or four days, we will get to know its fate. As far as what I have heard, the report is very good. But I don't want to boast about the film. Whatever we have done in the film has come straight from the heart so I just hope our audience and God likes it, and we are able to live up to their expectations.
Q.How will you rate yourself as an actress on a scale of 10?
Who am I to rate and judge myself? I can't rate or judge neither others nor myself. I have just taken a small step through Aap Kaa Surroor and I have to go a long way. I have to learn a lot. It's only my audience who can judge me.
Q.So you won't give any number to yourself?
I don't know how much I should give myself. I can give myself even a minus figure because I have a long way to go.
Q.It's said that when the film shoot was on, on one occasion you referred to Mallika Sherawat as Mallika Aunty. Is it true?
She is a senior in the film industry. How can I call her Mallika Aunty? All these things are fake. I have learnt so much from Mallika; she is such a good human being. She is a thorough professional and a perfect person. She would be the first person to be on the sets on time. I had a very good equation with Mallika and she was very sweet to me, so why will I call her aunty?
Q: Is Aap Kaa Surroor the perfect debut for you or do you think you could have had a better debut?
This is my perfect debut. I should be happy with whatever I have right now and I am happy with what I have got. I could not be happier than this debut. I thank God that he has given me so much and I thank everyone who had faith in me that I could pull my role in this film. With folded hands, I say thank you to all of them.
Q.The reference point for Himesh when he says Aap Kaa Surroor is you. Who would be reference point for you, if you were to say the same to someone outside the film?
(Laughs) I don't want to answer that. I don't know, it could be anyone, the person you love or the person who is closest to you. It depends from person to person.
Q.Any interesting anecdotes while shooting?
HR sir came up with this fictitious name and would always ask me who 'Antonio' was. It would confuse me! He used to tease me like that and most of the time, he forgot the name himself! Both HR and Prashant sir (Chadha, director) has this amazing sense of humor.
Q.Is Himesh Reshammiya a better actor, singer or composer?
He is number one in all the three departments.
You're being diplomatic.
No, he has proved himself as music director, singer and now, as an actor as well. I have learnt a lot from him.
Q.What next from here? Have you decided upon your future projects?
I have many offers. Let's see what appeals to my mom and my manager. Let's see what God drops me in my small kitty.
Q.Only mom and manager? What about your choice?
Yes, obviously, it does matter. But they guide me.
