It is a pleasant coincidence that Katrina Kaif's film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is releasing on the eve of her birthday. In an exclusive and extensive conversation with Gaurav Malani, Katrina Kaif speaks about her films, birthday plans and more.
Your last birthday was celebrated while shooting for this film in Spain
Yea! I was away from home with just the film's cast and crew. We went out for a dinner to a Spanish restaurant. And coincidentally the film is now releasing on the eve of my birthday.
Any special birthday plans this year?
It all depends on what happens to the film. I am really hoping and praying it does well.
What is your idea of living zindagi to the fullest?
Balancing what is the right thing to do and what you really want to do! Balancing what you want and what is expected out of you! I think a lot of us make decisions of what is expected from us and not from what we want. There is no point in working so hard and not being happy.
But you seem to have worked real hard on this film and mastered outdoor sports like dirt-biking and scuba diving.
I have ridden bikes before. But the bike in this film was much heavier and bigger. So I had to train in between the shooting days in Spain. For scuba- diving, I trained in the pool for 4-5 days but when we went on location, we were shooting in the sea which was very rough, choppy and a different experience. That's when I realized I hadn't trained enough.
Any moment of adventure that scared you?
On one of the diving days I went completely out of control, because you get pushed around under the water. You can't come up quickly to the top. That was probably the scariest moment for me.
Did you miss trying your hands at sky-diving that the boys do in the film?
I am very lucky and privileged that I was not required for sky-diving. I am not sure if I would have done that.
What happens to your plans of riding a bike across Mumbai streets?
I do want to ride a bike but riding in and around Mumbai would not be much fun because you don't want people to keep following you on the roads. But maybe I can find another place to ride and that would be fun.
How was the experience of getting dirty with tomatoes?
Oh, the Tomatina festival is exactly like what Holi is for us. It happens in Spain every year where everyone plays music on streets, there's water, there's dancing and there's this whole playing with the tomatoes thing. It took us three days to shoot the song and it felt kind of gross after a while. But it was fun.
What is the craziest thing that you would want to do in life?
Crazy doesn't have to mean jump out of an airplane. It doesn't mean Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara toh jump out of an airplane or go scuba-diving or do something crazy. It's also about the decisions you make in life. If you are under pressure to get married just because you are not going to live your life again, you shouldn't be doing that. If you are in a job you hate, you shouldn't be doing that. If you only think about money, you need to re-look at that a bit. It's not just about the adventure it's kind of a paradox.
Would you call ZNMD a road film?
I don't know what a road film means. Every film needs to have a setting the road trip is just incidental to the film. This film is shot in Spain where they are on a road journey.
With ZNMD primarily being a film about male-bonding, how much scope do you have in the film?
Well, the story is primarily about these three boys, their journey in their life and the decisions they make. It's like a coming-of-age film. What worked for me is that I absolutely loved the film and wanted to be a part of it. It doesn't matter if I am there in every scene or not.
And really hats off to Hrithik, Farhan and Abhay to do this film together. They are all stars in their own right and do different kinds of cinema. But they still came together and put aside things like who has more lines and who has more scenes. It would have been very difficult to get three girls to do a film like this.
So did you and Kalki have problems with each other?
It is so unfair on Kalki. She is such a sweet little girl and new in the industry. It's not right to picture her like that and throw her into the deep end.
Who, do you think, is the hottest amongst Hrithik, Abhay, Farhan?
Two of them are happily married and the third is happily taken, so I will save my opinion.
Is your screen-chemistry with Hrithik, the best you ever shared with an actor?
That is not for me to say. The audience's decision is always right in that context.
Finally which is the weirdest rumour you have heard about yourself?
I have lost count. And it doesn't matter anymore.
Your last birthday was celebrated while shooting for this film in Spain
Yea! I was away from home with just the film's cast and crew. We went out for a dinner to a Spanish restaurant. And coincidentally the film is now releasing on the eve of my birthday.
Any special birthday plans this year?
It all depends on what happens to the film. I am really hoping and praying it does well.
What is your idea of living zindagi to the fullest?
Balancing what is the right thing to do and what you really want to do! Balancing what you want and what is expected out of you! I think a lot of us make decisions of what is expected from us and not from what we want. There is no point in working so hard and not being happy.
But you seem to have worked real hard on this film and mastered outdoor sports like dirt-biking and scuba diving.
I have ridden bikes before. But the bike in this film was much heavier and bigger. So I had to train in between the shooting days in Spain. For scuba- diving, I trained in the pool for 4-5 days but when we went on location, we were shooting in the sea which was very rough, choppy and a different experience. That's when I realized I hadn't trained enough.
Any moment of adventure that scared you?
On one of the diving days I went completely out of control, because you get pushed around under the water. You can't come up quickly to the top. That was probably the scariest moment for me.
Did you miss trying your hands at sky-diving that the boys do in the film?
I am very lucky and privileged that I was not required for sky-diving. I am not sure if I would have done that.
What happens to your plans of riding a bike across Mumbai streets?
I do want to ride a bike but riding in and around Mumbai would not be much fun because you don't want people to keep following you on the roads. But maybe I can find another place to ride and that would be fun.
How was the experience of getting dirty with tomatoes?
Oh, the Tomatina festival is exactly like what Holi is for us. It happens in Spain every year where everyone plays music on streets, there's water, there's dancing and there's this whole playing with the tomatoes thing. It took us three days to shoot the song and it felt kind of gross after a while. But it was fun.
What is the craziest thing that you would want to do in life?
Crazy doesn't have to mean jump out of an airplane. It doesn't mean Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara toh jump out of an airplane or go scuba-diving or do something crazy. It's also about the decisions you make in life. If you are under pressure to get married just because you are not going to live your life again, you shouldn't be doing that. If you are in a job you hate, you shouldn't be doing that. If you only think about money, you need to re-look at that a bit. It's not just about the adventure it's kind of a paradox.
Would you call ZNMD a road film?
I don't know what a road film means. Every film needs to have a setting the road trip is just incidental to the film. This film is shot in Spain where they are on a road journey.
With ZNMD primarily being a film about male-bonding, how much scope do you have in the film?
Well, the story is primarily about these three boys, their journey in their life and the decisions they make. It's like a coming-of-age film. What worked for me is that I absolutely loved the film and wanted to be a part of it. It doesn't matter if I am there in every scene or not.
And really hats off to Hrithik, Farhan and Abhay to do this film together. They are all stars in their own right and do different kinds of cinema. But they still came together and put aside things like who has more lines and who has more scenes. It would have been very difficult to get three girls to do a film like this.
So did you and Kalki have problems with each other?
It is so unfair on Kalki. She is such a sweet little girl and new in the industry. It's not right to picture her like that and throw her into the deep end.
Who, do you think, is the hottest amongst Hrithik, Abhay, Farhan?
Two of them are happily married and the third is happily taken, so I will save my opinion.
Is your screen-chemistry with Hrithik, the best you ever shared with an actor?
That is not for me to say. The audience's decision is always right in that context.
Finally which is the weirdest rumour you have heard about yourself?
I have lost count. And it doesn't matter anymore.
