Zealous Zarine

I do not have a Bollywood background; so whenever I am in a fix, I fall back on Salman.

MUMBAI:

Link-ups get an actor good mileage in gossip columns and something similar happened to British-born actor Zarine Khan, when she debuted opposite Salman Khan in Veer. But she has no qualms admitting that when she is in trouble, she falls back on him.

“I don’t know about the camp, but, yes, I believe in being loyal to the person (Salman), who brought me to the industry. He doesn’t have a block in his head. In professional life, I am free to do whatever I like. I do not have a Bollywood background and do not know a lot of people here; so whenever I am in a fix, I fall back on Salman,” Zarine said.

She has been roped in for Housefull 2 and says it will help her in breaking out of her image. “I really wanted to do this film because I wanted to break the perception of people who thought that because I am from the UK, I can’t speak Hindi or that, I am not fit for a particular look. I wanted to break the image I had during Veer. I think Housefull 2 will help me in proving my point,” she added.

For the sequel to the 2010 comedy Housefull, director Sajid Khan has cast a new set of female actors — Zarine, Asin Thottumkal and Jacqueline Fernandez, who did an item song in the first instalment. The male leads have also been reshuffled slightly — while Akshay Kumar has been retained, John Abraham is the new entrant.

Zarine’s weight issue followed her to Housefull 2 too — she has been asked to get into shape for the comedy. “The film excites me as well as makes me nervous because the role in the movie is ultra glamorous and I am expected to be super fit. I am really trying hard. We are going to start shooting in the mid of this month. I have a very long way to go in very little time. The most important thing for me is the weight loss because the only thing I was told was to get into shape,” said Zarine, who doesn’t mind working in a multi-starrer. “It’s a setback for a newcomer not to have a Bollywood background. If you have a father or someone who is from this industry, then you don’t have to suffer the partiality that happens.”

But the positive response to her item song “Character Dhila” with Salman in Ready has raised her hopes.

“Veer was a dream debut with Salman. Everything was so good, but the film didn’t do well. It was written off everywhere, my weight was criticised. I was wondering what went wrong and why no one was supporting me? The media just broke me off. Whatever event I attended, they wrote about my dressing and my weight again and again. I was very disappointed. After ‘Character Dhila’ becoming a hit, people’s perspective about me has changed. People have started accepting me,” said Zarine.

Zarine added, “After Housefull 2, I might be doing another film that I am not sure of as yet, but it’s not with Salman.”



Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2011.