Katrina Kaif seeks a new path

She has reached tremendous heights in her seven-year-old career, pushing the boundaries with her performance in Raajneeti, but now Katrina Kaif wants to take on a different role - in a Yash Chopra-style love story.

“There are a lot of sides to me that are yet to be tapped. After having done Raajneeti, it isn’t that I am going to do just female-oriented roles because the film has worked in my favour. I want to keep exploring and experimenting with characters and filmmakers,” Kaif told IANS.

“In fact, right now, I would love to have a one boy-one girl Yashji type of love story in hand or, say, play a loud, boisterous girl - something along the lines of Hemaji’s role in Seeta Aur Geeta. Those are fun and interesting roles too. Why limit myself?” asked the 25-year-old.

The Yash Chopra formula for love stories worked well for actors like Sri Devi (Chandni), Madhuri Dixit and Karisma Kapoor (Dil To Pagal Hai), Kajol (Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayeinge) and Preity Zinta (Veer Zaara).

But Katrina Kaif doesn’t need to worry about roles anymore. She is currently basking in the success of Prakash Jha’s Raajneeti where she amazed the audience as a young, madly-in-love girl who becomes a pawn in the game of politics.

In the last 10 minutes of the film, she is seen playing a chief minister and manages to leave a strong impact on viewers.

The actor is cited as a good luck charm for Indian producers, and her only flop in 2008 was Subhash Ghai’s Yuvvraaj.

But Kaif is quick to counter the notion that she is a “formula” for filmmakers in search of a hit.

“I am no formula. It isn’t true that a film becomes a hit because of me. I always put a script above my own role. I always see a film in totality and not just on the basis of my role. The film comes first; the role comes second for me. It is just that God has been very kind and my choices have mostly turned out to be right,” she said.

But doesn’t she fear failure after becoming successful so quickly?

“I do not get scared. It’s wrong if people say a hit is expected of me all the time. Of course, everyone fears failure, but for me there is no added pressure to succeed.”

“It is up to the audience to accept or reject a film and I am happy my audience has supported me so far,” she said in a confident tone.

Katrina Kaif is currently shooting in Spain for Luck By Chance and director Zoya Akhtar’s tentatively titled Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which also stars Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and Abhay Deol.

The actor is also looking forward to the release of Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan.

In Khan’s film, Kaif will be featured opposite Akshay Kumar, with whom she has given hits like Namastey London, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng.

After Tees Maar Khan and Zindagi Milegi Na Dobara, she is looking forward to stepping into the shoes of Priyanka Chopra for Karan Johar’s much-awaited sequel to Dostana.

Published in the Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2010.