Bollywood Film Fame Canada Magazine - May 2021 Issue by Bollywood Film Fame Canada

BollywoodFilmFame.com

May 2021

INSIDE SHOLA WITH

AKASA CHARAN AND

INTRODUCING

ANMOL THAKERIA DHILLON FOREVER EVOLVING

SHALMALI DANCING

HER WAY THROUGH

SANDEEPA D

H A

It's already May and yet it seems as though parts of the world are still at a standstill. There is a lot happening in the world, with many suffering at the hands of COVID-19, some suffering through the conflicts in their countries, and then of course, the constant conflict between people in the world.

With all of that, I always ask everyone to try to lend a helping hand and spread as much awareness as possible.

In a rare occurrence, I won't be breaking down what you'll find in this particular digital issue. I know that you will turn these pages in an effort to get to know some of the brightest actors and talents of the industry yourself, be it our cover story with Sandeepa Dhar, the wonderful artists AKASA and Charan, the new Anmol Thakeria Dhillon, or even Shalmali.

Instead, I will take this time to ask you to try your very best to inform yourselves, and support those around you in these desperate times. Please take care of yourselves and thank you for the read.

Until Next Time,

ON THE COVER Sandeepa Dhar Photographer: Deep Panchal (@dieppj) HMU: Kruti Sheth (@mukashu.mua) Stylist: Shruti Birla (@shru_birla) Cover Story Photos (Inside) Photography: Shazz Alam (@Shazzalamphotography) HMU: Kruti Sheth (@mukashu.mua) Stylist: Shruti Birla (@shru_birla)

DANCING

HER WAY THROUGH

SANDEEPA D

H A

SHALMALI

ARMAAN

AKASA & CHARAN

MAHIMA

ABHISHEKH KHAN

BHANU UDAY

DIVINAA

24 ANMOL THAKERIA DHILLON

LUKSIMI SIVANESWARALINGAM

32 VERONICA VANIJ

COVER STORY

DANCING HER WAY

THROUGH

Sandeepa Dhar Exclusive Interview by Armin S.

Credits Photographer: Shazz Alam Hmu: Kruti Sheth Stylist: Shruti Birla

COVER STORY

YOU STARTED OFF IN 2010, SO YOU’VE BEEN IN THIS INDUSTRY FOR JUST OVER A DECADE BUT IT’S A DIFFERENT WORLD IN 2021 THAN IT WAS IN 2010, THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA, ACTORS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND JUST ACTING. WHAT WAS SANDEEPA THE ACTOR LIKE THEN AND WHAT IS SHE LIKE TODAY?

f there’s one thing that stands out for me with Sandeepa, it is her sheer dedication to her craft and the way she seems to carry herself with poise and grace through it all. Maybe it’s the years of discipline through dance, or the grit it takes to perform day after day on stage that has made her the thorough professional she is today. In front of the camera, she has impressed in her recent roles in MumBhai and Bisaat, and I sincerely hope she continues on this path of versatility. I sit down to chat with Sandeepa, virtually, as always, about how things have changed for her in the past decade, the impact of performing on stage as an actor, and the demand for powerful female roles.

Well, very, very different. I started off in 2010 with my first film, not wanting to be an actor. I didn’t have a goal of becoming an actor. When I did my first film, I was very clueless to be honest. It’s mid-way through the shooting of the film that I realized that I enjoyed this and this was something I wanted to pursue. The kind of actor I became is obviously very different now because had I always wanted to be an actor, I would have prepped for it, done courses and stuff like that. I didn’t do any of that. But after my first film released, it released in December 2010. In April 2011, I flew to Australia because I won a scholarship to study dance. I joined the Australian Dance Company and I left films and stuff like that because I got the opportunity to do something I always wanted to do. I was away from India for four to five years. I was doing something else all together. I was doing stage actually, which turned out to be a huge blessing. For someone who knew nothing about films, who was thrown in, and who was clueless – like I didn’t know how to take light, what’s your mark, what’s a facing? Everything I learnt technically about films was on my first film set. Obviously, I didn’t have any acting experience back then. That time away from India gave me the opportunity to grow as an individual. I was also doing a musical, and because of that, I got the opportunity to hone my acting skills on stage. I got to travel the world with it. I got the opportunity to meet so many different kinds of people and learn from the best in the music industry. I also feel, as an actor, the more you grow as an individual, the better you become with your craft. Everything we use is from our personal experiences so the more experiences you gather in life, the better you are with your craft. I’ve grown with experience.

AND WITH THAT EXPERIENCE HAS ALSO COME THE NEW WAVE OF ACTORS HAVING TO MARKET THEMSELVES, PUT CONTENT OUT THERE, BE ON SOCIAL MEDIA…

You’re right, there was really no social media back then. Twitter and Facebook were more so at an infancy stage. I also got onto social media really late. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to share my life with the rest of the world because I’m a very private person. But all of that is

passed now and everything is now out there. Things have completely changed. In a way, I’m glad I debuted back then and not now, because I feel like I would have been a very different person if I debuted now. I’ve seen the older times and the newer world – and I’m in between somewhere and I can decide where I want to go – in contrast with the newer generation who is getting launched now. For them, social media is such a natural thing that they don’t know a world without it. So a lot of growth happened and I also chose the correct time to come back to India because of the boom of the OTT platforms.

A LOT OF GOOD ACTORS ALSO START OFF IN DANCE, AND PERHAPS IT IS BECAUSE OF THE EXPRESSION THAT DANCE ALLOWS FOR. YOU STARTED DANCING AT A YOUNG AGE, AND TRAINING AT THE AGE OF 7. WHAT DID DANCE DO FOR YOU AS AN ARTIST?

Yes, I started dancing at the age of four and when I formally started training was at the age of 7, when I started learning Bharatnatyam. Dance has always been a very personal thing to me. It wasn’t something I took up because I wanted to become a dancer. It was very organic. I don’t perform for anyone else in that sense, it’s my way of expressing myself. It’s also the cathartic – so if I’m feeling good, bad, ugly, it all just comes out. It actually helps gets all the negative energy out of your body. Any art form, I feel, is a gift from God. I did not choose dance; dance chose me. What I did was, I took that and I took training to enhance that. I use it for my own happiness and it brings me a lot of joy. When I dance, you see that joy. It is for my own happiness. Dance brought a certain amount of balance, discipline, and awareness to my life at a very young age. For me, I never feel off. My body is naturally tuned to let it all out through dance. It’s not that I am aware of it – it’s just a mood lifter – and my body naturally tells me to let it all out. When I think about it now, I realize it is subconscious.

AND HOW DID BEING ON STAGE ENHANCE YOUR SKILLS AS AN ACTOR IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA, GIVEN THEY ARE TWO DIFFERENT MEDIUMS?

Stage is an actor’s medium and film is a director’s medium. Whatever I do in films and series, in front of the camera, is what is expected and what the vision is of the director as opposed to the stage. The stage is all mine. What that lets you do is direct yourself. With stage, you are also performing every day – repetition is the key to enhancing anything. There are also no

COVER STORY

18 BollywoodFilmFame.com

COVER STORY

retakes. You realize that you cannot use any crutches so you have to be strong, technically speaking. You can’t use shortcuts. So now when you go in front of the camera, you have already enhanced your skills. The two are just so different. Live audiences and the instant gratification is just so wonderful on stage. Films is great – it gives you more popularity maybe but I would trade it for stage any day. I’ve been performing on stage since I was a kid and the joy I feel when I see a live audience in front of me, smiling, they have paid for that ticket, and you see their happiness, that happiness is something else. So while I love cinema and the camera, theatre and stage has allowed me to love that.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE EXPLOSION OF THE DIGITAL SPACE AND WHAT IT HAS DONE FOR YOU IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITIES.

I also feel, as an actor, the more you grow as an individual, the better you become with your craft.

I think it has been a blessing for most actors, most technicians, anyone connected to the entertainment industry actually, because it has generated so much more work. There were always X number of films being made which would employ Y number of people. But now, there’s an entire industry that is thriving which has generated employment and more households are running on this. So now more money is coming back into the industry now, which is wonderful. The digital space is now also much more of an actor’s medium as opposed to a star’s medium. Films are still focused on stars. OTT is like this – if you are a good actor, you will get your due. Films rely on a lot more than just a good actor. I feel the OTT is the best thing that has happened in this industry – you could be living anywhere in India, but as long as you are a good actor, you will get that opportunity to display your talent. If you’re good, you will get your due – that’s guaranteed. This is a good phase, where we are focusing on talent. Of course, not every series is great but the fact that people are getting to explore and tell more stories, it’s just great because the risks are much lower but the experimentation is at an all-time high.

WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT YOUR PROJECTS, IS THERE A CERTAIN CHARACTER YOU’D LOVE TO REVISIT TO SEE HOW HER JOURNEY CONTINUES?

I think the one closest to me right now is the one I played in Bisaat. It was a very strong character. I played a strong woman even in MumBhai. I think with Kiana in Bisaat, it became a very personal journey. I became very attached to it, so it also took me a longer time to come out of it. I feel like hers has been a very interesting

journey in the way that it comes out in the series. I would watch a season 2 of Bisaat for my own self but also the audience to see where she goes from here. With most series, the journey of the woman ends with marriage. In this one, it ends with her getting out of a marriage and then what happens. That will be interesting to see. It’s nice to see a woman as still complete – and not just when she has a family and a husband. I think a woman can be complete without all of those things as well. That’s what Kiana’s journey has been and I’d love to see what happens next with her.

FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, FEMALE ACTORS WERE MERE EYE CANDY ON SCREEN, EASILY REPLACEABLE. EVEN TODAY, WHILE THERE IS MUCH MORE SPACE FOR GOOD CHARACTERS FOR FEMALES, WE STILL SEE SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR WEB SERIES AND FILMS CENTRED AROUND MEN, BE IT CRIME THRILLERS, MYSTERIES, AND DRAMA SERIES. WHAT CAN THE INDUSTRY DO BETTER TO FLESH OUT BETTER FEMALE CHARACTERS AND FEMALE NARRATIVES?

I think to begin with, we need more female writers. There is a huge lack of that. We need writers who are not just women, writers who are more progressive in thought generally. The conditioning of men needs to change generally. Only then will we have stronger women parts. Until that changes, nothing will happen. What we see in cinema is a reflection of what our society is like. Men are changing but at a very, very slow pace. It has been ingrained in our DNA to think the man is stronger and the woman is the supporting character. That’s why you have a lot of these crime-based series which are men-led. I did one – Abhay – which was a male dominated story, even though I did have a strong presence and I was helping Kunal Kemmu’s character in that. Men are always the problem solvers. Women always take care of the house. That’s what is always shown. And we constantly think that our urban centres is reality but our real audiences are not just the urban centres. We still have so many parts of India and the world which is primarily based on the system of patriarchy outside of the big cities – and it is only when that changes, the patriarchy in our society is dealt with, that we can make true progress. Once that changes, that’s when we can help change the narratives.

INTERVIEW

SHALMALI A NEW SIDE THROUGH SIDE A AND SIDE B Interview by Armin S.

MAGINE BEING A HUGE FAN OF SOMEONE’S VOICE AND VERSATILITY AND THEN GETTING TO INTERVIEW THEM. WHILE SHALMALI IS PRIMARILY KNOWN FOR HER CHARTBUSTERS IN BOLLYWOOD SUCH AS “PARESHAAN”, “BALAM PICHKARI” AND “CHINGAM CHABAKE”, IT IS HER FORAY INTO SONG WRITING AND THE RELEASE OF HER NEW ALBUM , 2X. WITH TWO SIDES SIDE A AND SIDE B, THAT HAS EVERYONE RAVING RIGHT NOW. HER RECENT RELEASE FEATURING SUNIDHI CHAUHAN, “HERE IS BEAUTIFUL” IS SIMPLY MAGNIFICENT. HERE’S MY CHAT WITH SHALMALI OF REVISITING HER ORIGINAL VISION OF BEING AN ARTIST AND WHAT IT HAS TAKEN TO GET BACK TO THE ROOTS.

20 BollywoodFilmFame.com

INTERVIEW

SHALMALI, I HARDLY SAY THIS, BUT I HAVE BEEN A HUGE FAN OF YOUR WORK, SPECIFICALLY YOUR SOUND. YOU HAVE EVOLVED, CONTINUE TO EVOLVE, AND CONTINUE TO DELIVER FRESH AND QUALITY SONGS. BUT WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR MUSIC TO BECOME A PASSION, ENOUGH TO PURSUE IT IN A WAY THAT IT DEFINES YOUR LIFE?

When I was in Junior College, I decided I wanted to pursue music. And when I thought about what that meant to me, it meant writing my own music and performing it in front of a small intimate audience at a club. That was the image I had in my head. Although I never ended up writing my own music back then, I did perform to a small intimate audience in a restaurant or a café. For some time, I lived that dream but somehow, once Bollywood happened and the songs started coming in, and I started performing to bigger audiences and the kind of music I was performing to, started going away from my initial idea of what I thought it would be like for me. The passion comes from the fact that I still have to get to where I always wanted to be. I still want to write my own music and perform my own music – which I am closer to doing now. I am very hungry that way – I am not a very stationary person, I am always running behind something. The passion comes from what I have set in my head to do and how far away I know it is still for me to get there. I do everything I can to get an inch closer to my destination every day. I know Bollywood has helped me in seeing what the possibilities are with performances. When you have songs that do well and are appreciated by millions of people and how you perform in front of the live audience and how you sing playback – I learnt a lot but the passion comes the fact that my initial goal is very far away.

A LOT WILL SAY THE END GOAL IS BOLLYWOOD AND IT SEEMS THE REVERSE FOR YOU. THAT’S A GREAT GOAL TO HAVE BUT INDEPENDENT MUSIC IS STARTING TO THRIVE AGAIN IN INDIA. THIS VISION THAT YOU HAD DESPITE THE POTENTIAL WAS SHOWN BY BOLLYWOOD – WHEN DID YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAD TO GO BACK TO THAT VISION BECAUSE VISIONS CHANGE SO MUCH?

You’re so right. Visions do change! I do want to write my own songs but I don’t necessarily want to perform it to a small audience but perform at stadiums also (chuckles). The vision is still intact because I don’t know…something inside me tells me that being a singer is not enough for me. It’s not realizing my full potential. It’s not what I’m only destined to do. I have a songwriter in me, which is what I’m exploiting now and I think that is actually my talent. Maybe I feel this urge inside me – and I think that was the unrest inside me – I wasn’t satisfied throughout the years, even with all the hits and shows. Life gets busy and it is great! So I didn’t have the time to even sit back and think about how not okay I am with doing just this. 2020, I thank the opportunity to sit back and reflect last year while I was still.

THERE CAN BE A SENSE OF COMPLACENCY WHEN YOU BECOME COMFORTABLE AND SUCCESS IS COMING, AS IT DID FOR YOU THOUGH BOLLYWOOD. YET IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE INDEPENDENT MUSIC GIVES YOU A SPACE TO HAVE MUCH MORE CREATIVE EXPRESSION – PERHAPS THAT IS WHAT THE HUNGER WAS FOR. WHAT IS THE KEY DIFFERENCE FOR YOU?

The biggest difference is that you feel an immense sense of ownership when you are writing your own music, which you just don’t feel – not for “Pareshaan” nor “Balam Pichkari”. When you write a song, wherever you are writing it, be it your kitchen or the train, and then pitching it to musicians, then sitting with a producer – it’s your song. It’s a beautiful process of clothing that baby of yours and making it look pretty. You are so involved in it. I’m the type of person who likes

INTERVIEW

22 BollywoodFilmFame.com

INTERVIEW

to become involved in everything, like I want to know what’s happening, where, when, why. In the last six of months that we have been working on this album, I now find music to be a completely different experience.

I LOVED “REGULAR” AND NOW “HERE IS BEAUTIFUL” – I THINK ABOUT THE HONESTY IN THE SONGS, WHICH IS RARE, I’LL SAY. WHERE DOES THE PASSION FOR BEING HONEST COME FROM IN YOUR MUSIC BECAUSE HONESTY IN AND OF ITSELF MAKES YOU VULNERABLE?

In all honesty, I don’t know any other way to write except to be honest. I cannot, at this point, put myself in someone else’s shoes because I am not that developed as a songwriter and write from someone else’s perspective. That’s the first reason why. But also, my influences – I’m a huge fan of Amy Winehouse. Everything she wrote can be connected back to her life and draws a seriously vivid picture of her life in general, and how candid she was – that really made her songs shine. And I think that’s how I want to be. I mean, there are songs that I have written in a lot of anger and I haven’t shown anyone because it may not be the right thing to do (chuckles) but I’ll release them at the right time!

“REGULAR” IS VERY URBAN. “HERE IS BEAUTIFUL” IS A DIFFERENT SOUND. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO WRITE IN ENGLISH, GIVEN THE OBVIOUS COMPETITION IN THAT SPACE, BUT ALSO THE OBVIOUS GLOBALIZATION OF THE LANGUAGE. IS THAT THE LANGUAGE YOU THINK IN?

It most definitely was. I was brought up in two major languages – Marathi and English. I think in English; and writing in Hindi was just something I wasn’t able to do but Hindi is my third language, but hopefully, some years later, I’ll write one Hindi song (laughs) but I think I can express myself better in English, to be honest. Also, the music I grew up listening to was the English pop kind of music – like the Michael Jackson, Spice Girls, Backstreet Boys type of artists. Now, I know that many of them did not write their own music, but as artists, the way they presented themselves, is what I aspired to be. That’s where it comes from and my song writing is a reflection of that.

LET’S TALK ABOUT WORKING WITH SUNIDHI CHAUHAN ON “HERE IS BEAUTIFUL”. HOW DID THE COLLABORATION HAPPEN?

Sunidhi is a phenomenon and the way she sings, she’s a monster. I feel that doubly so now since I’ve gotten to know her as a person. She’s a fanatic about the details, and not in a crazy way, but she will go the extra mile on everything. To have that fire with you after spending so many years in the industry, it is crazy. She is also an idol to me – like when I was growing up. I looked at her and thought that’s what I want to be like. She’s also a very caring woman and it all started off with a message she sent me. She sent me a message during the lockdown and asked me how I was doing. I felt the comfort in starting a conversation about a song because she was so sweet like that. I was, at the time, planning an elaborate song for my boyfriend for five years of being together. I told her if she could sing it with me – I said, it will be a cooler song if you sing on it – it was our little DIY project. We would shoo him out, sneak her in (chuckles). We mixed the song and we gifted it to him. He was over the moon. Now, he asks me how I will top that! That was “Here is Beautiful” but it sounded very different as a gift to him. Then we forgot about it for some time. A few months later, I was ready for an album and I felt that “Here is Beautiful” had a place on the album so I reached out to Sunidhi again. The versions are different and we did a video because Sunidhi said, “hey, great, let’s do a video too!”. So when you say the music sounds honest, I’m glad you think that – the space is exactly that – that it comes from a place of honesty.

INTERVIEW

I N T RO D U C I N G

ANMOL THAKERIA DHILLON Interview By Armin S.

24 BollywoodFilmFame.com

INTERVIEW

I FIND OFTEN IN A HOUSEHOLD WITH CREATIVE ARTISTS, THE CREATIVE SPARK TENDS TO PASS OFF ONTO THE KIDS. HOW MUCH OF YOUR JOURNEY TOWARDS BEING AN ACTOR WAS SHAPED FROM CHILDHOOD OR WAS IT BORNE OUT OF YOUR OWN CURIOSITY?

Anmol Thakeria

Dhillon made his debut with Tuesdays & Fridays, which, after hitting theatres, recently released on Netflix for the global audience. Marking his acting journey with some self-learning and hard work, Anmol hopes to continue to grow as an actor through his own lessons. He may be the son of the prolific Poonam Dhillon, but he’s here to make himself known through his own journey.

To be honest, I understood how my family was involved in films but at the same time, when I was younger and growing up, my mom actually took some time off from films and she was taking care of us. She wasn’t occupied with films when I was younger. She was a very hands-on mom. At an early age, we weren’t really exposed to this world although we were always aware that mom was somebody people knew. We would travel abroad and people would ask for pictures and ask her for an autograph. We had this vague idea that she was somebody who was known publicly. I realized I wanted to become an actor much later though, about fifteen or sixteen years old. When I was younger, I wanted to play sports and play with my friends. So, although I had a brief idea of how things worked in films, times sin ce then have also changed and we weren’t really exposed at that time anyway. Things are very different today. You do have to figure it out yourself but you do have a go-to person just in case, as I did. But honestly, I’m looking forward to growing and learning myself for the most part.

WHERE DOES THE CONFIDENCE COME FROM TO ENTER INTO AN INDUSTRY THAT IS RIFE WITH REJECTION?

Every day, the more known you get, the more likely it is that people will also criticize you. You are right about that. And all of that happens to us much more publicly. But generally, it’s been nice right now that people are liking my work and getting to know who I am, as opposed to whose kid I am. It’s because I wasn’t known to the media beforehand, like sometimes other actors whose families are involved in films, become. I can say it is person to person though in terms of criticism. I’m not affected by criticism in an unhealthy way. I can be pretty objective about it. I try to grow and learn and improve with the feedback I get. I am always a bit disconnected. Having said that, as I do more work, it may affect me more.

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE CHOICE OF DOING A ROMANTIC FILM AS YOUR DEBUT, WHICH, TONGUE IN CHEEK, I’LL SAY IS ALMOST

UNCONVENTIONAL TO DO NOW. WHILE IT MAY BE A GENRE THAT IS ENJOYED BY MANY, IT IS ALWAYS TOUGH TO DO A STAND-OUT ROMANTIC FILM. WHAT DROVE YOUR CHOICE?

Romance and love are universal but to give a different take or a spin or give the audience something slightly more unique would be difficult. For me, I personally love rom coms and light-hearted romantic films. I’m not ashamed to say that. When Taran and I were speaking initially, he was very pleasantly surprised that I like these kind of films. I really consumed a lot of romantic films especially the early 2000s, like Salaam Namaste. He was happy because I wasn’t coming in wanting to be this macho type of guy in the film. I also really liked my character because Varun was progressive in that way that Sia was kind of in charge and she was the one who made the rules of the relationship.

AND HONESTLY, ON THAT NOTE, I’LL TELL YOU THAT IT WAS MY SISTER’S HUSBAND THAT DISCOVERED THE FILM AND PUSHED MY SISTER TO WATCH IT TOGETHER.

It’s so refreshing to hear that men are liking the film and they are the ones sharing it with their partners and saying we need to watch this. It shows that men are emotionally intelligent and aren’t scared to talk about feelings anymore. I think that’s so great to hear about men being comfortable enough to do that, and being open to watching these films.

HMM, I IMAGINE A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ASKING WHAT’S NEXT ON THE HORIZON AND PERHAPS THE WANT OF YOU TO DIVERSIFY YOUR PORTFOLIO. INSTEAD, LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW FAR YOU HAVE COME AND WHAT THE BIGGEST DISCOVERY IS THAT YOU HAVE MADE ABOUT YOURSELF?

When I did Tuesdays & Fridays, it was the first time I had ever faced the camera. Obviously, apart from acting classes, this was my first ever gig that I had landed. I hadn’t done an ad film or a television show before. For me, it was really like exhilarating and excited. I was learning every day. I had such a great team behind me. I have become more aware of myself, my tools as an actor, and more aware of everything around me. Actors typically get better with each new job. I also feel more confident. But I think, overall, I’ve just realized I have become more aware.

INTERVIEW

Inside “Shola” with

AKASA & CHARAN Interview by Armin S.

AKASA

26 BollywoodFilmFame.com

CHARAN

INTERVIEW CHARAN AND AKASA, IF THERE IS ONE COMPLAINT I HAVE, I WISH “SHOLA” WAS LONGER! EXPLAIN THE LENGTH TO ME.

“S

hola” is a ton of fun, and so are AKASA and Charan. “Shola” is sung, composed, and written by AKASA and Charan, and released by Sony Music India and produced by Aasa Singha and Redmojo. The song features the ever-popular Rohit Saraf, and well, the hit number has many reasons why it’s hugely successful! Here’s my chat with the wonderful AKASA, who is known for previous hits like “Naagin” and the critically acclaimed, “Dhoondti Firaan” and Charan, who has lent his prowess to Malang and RejectX. Together, the two of them have created fire with their “Shola” (pun definitely intended).

CHARAN: This song, the whole idea behind it, was to write it in the new way – kind of like a “Spotify” song. If you realize, even on the international stage, songs are becoming shorter and that’s even where pop music is going. In a way, it was an attempt to keep the song really to the point. All the melodies, musical structures, are to the point – so it brings out the chorus behind it. It also makes you want to play it again, it is catchy, so you want to go back. And that’s what seems to be happening. AKASA: Hmm, I think it was so short because we did everything in that time. It starts off so up there, then there’s a rap, then there’s an “antra” – anything more in the song may have made it boring. Very honestly, I didn’t know it was a conscious decision. Like, “masti, masti mein ban gaya”. CHARAN: Obviously, it was very organic too, like we did not say that we would only want it this long. It was organically going there but we nudged it there. It didn’t need anymore than what we had in it.

“MASTI” IS A GOOD WAY TO DESCRIBE IT. SO WHAT WAS THE MOOD LIKE DURING PRE-PRODUCTION?

CHARAN: When me and AKASA jam, we are usually just having fun. The session we had, was just that. I had this one hook. She really liked it. We thought we would make it fun and we put a reggae beat on. I rapped and it was all kind of just in fun. AKASA: Yeah, like I was jamming and I didn’t think the rap was going to be in the song. But then the rap part even, it just fit. CHARAN: It was just so organic because it was one of the most fun sessions I’ve ever done!

I CONSTANTLY LISTENED TO R&B, HIP HOP, RAP. A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN GET IT RIGHT, BUT SOME PEOPLE CAN GET IT WRONG. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO KEEP THE RAP PART IN WHEN IT WASN’T INTENTIONALLY PUT IN TO BEGIN WITH?

CHARAN: What motivated both of us was that it sounded fresh. That part makes it fresh and makes it more recallable. It also flows into the chorus well again. I remember once, we were in AKASA’s studio, and we cut that part off, and we listened to the track – and we didn’t like the song without the rap part!

AKASA: I’m that person who loses perspective on her own songs. So, I remember talking to Charan and the team at Sony Music and leaving it up to them to decide. The reason why I also think it worked is that we did not think we have to put the rap part in. It was within the flow. Any piece of art, you have to let it flow, and that’s when it works. You can’t intentionally sit there and say, okay, we will make this reggae, we will make a rap within the song.

THE ONE THING I HAVE NOTICED IS THE EMERGENCE AND SUSTENANCE OF THE PUNJABI MUSIC SCENE AND A GENERAL PUNJABI VIBE IN NON-PUNJABI SONGS. WHY DO YOU THINK THIS TREND EXISTS AND CONTINUES TO RUN STRONG?

AKASA: I may have a very different take than Charan on this. I think these people have been so far ahead of Bollywood whereas Bollywood sometimes follows a formula. The Punjabi music industry is also very diverse – we have a UK Punjabi producer, an underground producer, someone from Canada, so everyone involved is very global. In general, I’m not trying to sound cocky, we are blessed with a musicality within our own language. And I’m Punjabi myself so maybe I’m biased. It’s easier for me to write in Punjabi than it is in Hindi because the language itself is very musical. We break the mould but we keep the same melody, but twist it here and there but somehow, the sound is always very fresh. Experimentation has always been on point in Punjabi songs as well. That’s why those songs are always relevant. You don’t put a film hero as well over a singer (mainly because they are the same person) but that division doesn’t exist in Punjabi music – but that division exists here. Sometimes I wonder why I didn’t go into the Punjabi industry. During the first lockdown, I listened to Punjabi music so much, because while there was experimentation, the roots are still intact. Bollywood is now trying to acquire that. CHARAN: I believe that myself. I have started experimenting with Punjabi lyrics myself as well. One thing I would like to add, the Punjabi music industry has also always existed parallel to Bollywood. Both industries have taken from each other. Now, independent artists are generally doing really well as well, not just Punjabi singers – because the internet has exploded. So, I think that’s what has led to the sustenance of the Punjabi feel in our music.

INTERVIEW

We Act All the Time”

ARMAAN RALHAN Interview by Armin S.

e has been garnering massive praise for his role in Ajeeb Dastaans. His work in the anthology has caught the attention of many, although many had already wondered what would happen with him after he made his mark in Befikre. I sat down virtually to chat with Armaan about his journey to acting, the release of emotions through characters, and how important it is to not judge characters.

28 BollywoodFilmFame.com

INTERVIEW WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE SPACE THAT ACTORS ARE IN TODAY, I THINK IT IS THE BEST TIME FOR ACTING AGAIN – THERE IS A PLETHORA OF OPPORTUNITY NOW. I MEAN, NOT EVERYTHING ON THE DIGITAL SPACE IS GREAT FOR CONSUMPTION. BUT THE EXPANSION HAS LED TO EXPERIMENTATION AND DIFFERENT PROJECTS. IN AN INTERVIEW, YOU TALKED ABOUT DANCING TO “JHOOMA JHOOMA” AT A YOUNG AGE AND ENJOYING FILMS – TO SOME EXTENT, EVERY SECOND KID, ENJOYS PERFORMING A LITTLE BIT. THERE IS A THRESHOLD THOUGH WHEN ACTING AND PERFORMING BECOMES MUCH MORE THAN A HOBBY. WHEN WAS THAT THRESHOLD CROSSED FOR YOU?

For me, it was the opposite. When I was very young, I liked performing but only at home. I always had that bug but inside my own house . In school, ironically, I was very shy. I remember doing a play in 4th or 5th grade and signing up for just holding cards. I was just holding a placard and turning around with the signs with the changes of the act and I was nervous doing that as well. I was quite shy. I knew somewhere I wanted to do film. Sports were also a big passion of mine. Films were also very big though – I would look forward to the weekend where I could kind of go and watch a movie – there was a video library that was right opposite my house. For me, the love for cinema was the driving force when I was younger.

SO HOW DID THE ACTING JOURNEY COME TO FRUITION?

I started studying filmmaking in New York. A friend of mine and I started talking – so when you not directing, you are working in different areas of sorts in people’s films. One day, we were at Union Square, we were waiting for his actor. My friend was directing the film. He turned around and he said “my actor is not turning up so you are doing the film.” It was a short film and it was quite an intense subject – it was about a guy who dies by suicide and it is the day leading up to when he dies by suicide. It was intense – and at the end of the day, I remember sitting at the fire exit, and thinking of the release of emotions. I

realized I enjoyed what I did in the film. I then got back to Mumbai and started training a lot. Apart from the quintessential expectations from an actor in India – like martial arts – but a lot of acting training as well. I realized at that point that this is what I was going to do with my life.

I’M ALWAYS ENVIOUS OF ACTORS WHO CAN EMOTE AND RELEASE THEIR EMOTIONS THROUGH THE CHARACTERS THEY PLAY. THEN THERE’S REAL LIFE, IN WHICH WE ARE CONSTANTLY ACTING, BUT SUPPRESSING OUR EMOTIONS, CONTROLLING THEM.

One hundred percent. Marlon Brando, I read his autobiography – and he has done some rare interviews. He said that as well – that people are acting all the time. You act a certain way in front of your grandparents, for somebody else you act a different way. It is so ingrained in you and you just act and don’t realize it. For an actual actor, it is predetermined how you have to act – but you have to do it so naturally that it must seem like you are not acting.

PEOPLE CRY IN PRIVATE SPACES IN REAL LIFE. YOU GET TO LAUGH, CRY, BE VULNERABLE THROUGH THE CHARACTER YOU ARE PLAYING. WHAT DOES IT TEACH YOU ABOUT EMOTING AND THE HUMAN SPIRIT?

I’m really new and fresh and I hope that attitude will always remains of learning but that’s something I would say, a lot of what you learn, to be a better actor, is to learn more about yourself – I need to get to know myself better. You can get to know people better – but for that, you need to learn who you are first. While you are exploring characters, you have to find elements in them that you see of yourself so that you can relate. So it can humanize things and the writing you read. You don’t look at things as black and white at that point. An important thing is to not judge the character you are playing. Some of them may be doing things that are despicable but you have to make sure you don’t judge it while you are playing the part. There is a saying – one man’s terrorist is another person’s freedom fighter. You have to apply that logic but you are not condoning that – but while playing the part, I have to understand where he is coming from. You have to understand the reasons behind why he is acting that way. You also have to give something of

yourself to the character and then the character gives you something back, when something is written nicely.

AND COMING TO AJEEB DASTAANS AND WHAT YOU FELT WORKED FOR YOU IN THE ANTHOLOGY.

From a general perspective, some films are made for entertainment and not necessarily trying to say something. With my story in Ajeeb Dastaans, we weren’t consciously trying to give a message. It was meant to be entertaining. But with that in mind, I was really excited to play a character with different layers. We were talking about how people are acting all the time before. Here, I was getting to play a character who was acting in the film was well. He was playing a part in the film to achieve something he wants. And that was really cool.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR TAKEAWAY FROM YOUR JOURNEY THEN?

I’ve been pretty lucky to have worked with some very, very cool people early in my career. For example, Aditya Chopra, the director of my first film; Ranveer, like there is so much to learn from him as well; Vaani, Jaideep Ahlawat, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Shashank…the take away is the craft and the work that speaks. That’s the temple and everything else around it is the frills. I’ve learnt to respect the work and really put all of your energy into that – to grow and to be versatile. All the people I have mentioned are all people who are achievers in their field. Most of the learnings are subconscious that rub off on you.

INTERVIEW

bhishekh Khan recently featured in Project 9191, a Sony LIV web series that is receiving commendable reviews from audience. He previously made a name for himself as an actor in a Netflix web series Bard of Blood produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment. Project 9191 is a crime drama web show that revolves around a crime tracking team of Mumbai police. I sit down to chat with the actor about all things acting again – getting back to the craft of it all.

INTERVIEW

GETTING BACK TO THE CRAFT OF ACTING

Abhishekh Khan Interview by Armin S.

ABHISHEKH, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME AN ACTOR INITIALLY?

I was a teenager when a neighbour from my building, whose name is Rajkummar Rao, came to me and spoke to me. I remember watching Kai Po Che! in the theatres – I saw the three actors, all from outside he industry, and that film made it clear to me that I wanted to be an actor. I spoke to him and told him I loved his work and I want to be an actor. He told me to go to the theatres and that will help me with my craft, and help me decide what I really want to do about my acting. At first, I wanted to be a star. I went with this whole expectation that people will accept me in seconds. But it’s not like that. They test you, they test your patience. That’s how I realized that I don’t want to be a star. I wish to be an actor first and do some good work in life. I thoroughly believe now that Art can heal people and help people live life in a better way. Now I just wish to be an actor – and it’s been ten years like that now.

YOU SAID IT WAS KAI PO CHE! THAT CONVINCED YOU. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THAT FILM THAT MADE YOU BELIEVE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO?

You can say a lot of films impacted me as a person. But with that film, it was like magic – there were these three guys (Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao, Amit Sadh) coming from nowhere, no specific filmy background, and when they were on screen, they lived their characters. When you realize that it is about living your characters, and not just about acting, that’s when you learn the most about acting. The film itself gave me the courage that you can do this too and you can try.

YES, AND THE FILM WAS DIFFERENT, THE PACING WAS DIFFERENT, AND IT MADE YOU REALIZE THAT A GOOD FILM DOES NOT REQUIRE A STAR. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE IN THEATRE AND HOW THAT HELPED YOU HONE YOUR CRAFT?

Being very honest, I didn’t really do anything pathbreaking in theatres. But my first play was working backstage and that play was with Atul Kumar. He is one of the finest in theatre. I got to work with such great actors – Neil Bhoopalam, Sayani Gupta, Jim Sarbh. I used to look at these guys every day – rehearsing. I was reading each and every line when I got a hold of the script. I did it with them. I saw these actors and I was analyzing them. Acting as a medium is one thing, but each actor has a different way of conducting and practicing their lines and craft. You learn and unlearn a lot. Everything is in one go in theatre. It’s a very

natural process. So it is a three, four month process, and then you perform. You get reactions from the audience. In film, you get a cut – you don’t get that reaction – so it’s on you now to determine how your emotions impact others. Now, when I have to cry, I don’t have to use glycerin. On the other hand, in theatre though, you can also become very loud – that transition to camera can be difficult sometimes. Anyone who can make that transition well, is doing great work in front of the camera as well.

YOU SAID IN AN INTERVIEW PREVIOUSLY THAT YOU DON’T WANT TO RESORT TO STEREOTYPES. WHEN YOU HAVE TO PLAY A HACKER, A COP, A PERSON WHO HAPPENS TO BE HOMOSEXUAL, HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE STAYING TRUE TO THAT INDIVIDUAL CHARACTER AND NOT RESORTING TO THE TRADITIONAL CHARACTER DESCRIPTORS?

One, I don’t watch anything related to that character in other films or series, because then it stays in your head. Even if you try to stay away from it, you will still go back to what you saw. You have to just stay true to yourself. You have to do everything from your heart – the day you start to do things from your heart, will be when there will be magic on screen.

YOU ACT FROM THE HEART AND IT’S PROFOUND TO THINK THAT WAY. IS IT DIFFICULT WHEN YOU HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT DAY AS A PERSON THOUGH?

I think any form of art can heal you. I specifically had a funeral scene in Bard of Blood – it’s a very integral scene in the series. I wear a cap throughout the series, and it is the first time, that I take off my cap. In a few seconds, I wear it again. I am staying in my character but I am also showing my human emotions. That’s an example of that. But if I am having a bad day, for me, music also plays a very important part to my spirit. If I have a happy scene, I will have maybe six songs on my playlist that are happy – and play it while I am going to the set. That’s the basic things you can do as an artist. We are professional people yes, but we act throughout – not just on set. I’m giving this interview, and I’m acting, in the sense that – this is not the way I speak to my friends. It’s a very different space from who I am as a person and we change the way we act according to the people we are with. At the end, it’s just the heart that is important. For me, acting is very precious and the screen is very precious. And I just always want to do things with all my heart.

INTERVIEW

“I treasure being engaged in such a passion driven craft”

MAHIMA MAKWANA Interviews by Armin S.

32 BollywoodFilmFame.com

Artist @mahima_makwana Shot by @photographybyafn HMU by @yusheeeee @beautybyapeksha Styled by @bhumikashah15 @krishi1606 Jewellery by @the_jewel_gallery BTS videography @zebra_shutterbug Coordination by @shah.dev.22

INTERVIEW

Mahima Makwa-

na started off her journey as an actor when she was a young teenager, and through the years, she has cultivated herself as an artist who can fit into different roles. She has played extremely memorable roles on television in shows such as Rishton Ka Chakravyuh and Sapne Suhane Ladakapan Ke and has also forayed into the wonderful world of cinema and series, with roles in Rangbaaz Phirse, Flesh, and Mosagallu. Here’s our chat on how starting off young shaped her journey, the blurring of the division between television and films, and her biggest learning lesson till date.

WHEN YOU FIRST DECIDED TO FORAY INTO ACTING, DID YOU HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE, SELF-DOUBT, OR A DEGREE OF LET'S GO WITH THE FLOW, GIVEN YOU WERE A YOUNG TEENAGER?

When one starts at the tender age, it isn’t lucid how they would gauge on their feelings. To a child, whatever they do at that point comes across as a mere game to be honest. I did not validate anything as a profession or a concrete plan for that matter. Having started as a child artist, I treasure being engaged in such a passion driven craft and I shall always consider it as an integral part of my growth both as a human and a professional.

I OFTEN FIND PEOPLE WHO STARTED IN THE INDUSTRY AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE SAY IT DIDN'T FEEL LIKE A JOB INITIALLY. WHEN DID YOU REALIZE THE IMPACT OF WHAT YOU WERE DOING?

I realised the impact of it recently wherein I analysed the sacrifices and the struggles that went into making me what I am today. I think I missed out on a normal life which every child yearns for but I find the relentless efforts worth it. The toughest part about starting early was to subconsciously know that I was missing out on the vitals as a kid whilst continuing with the drill.

BEYOND TELEVISION, YOU HAVE BEEN A PART OF THE DIGITAL SPACE. WHAT HAS THE DIGITAL SPACE OFFERED TO ACTORS WHOM WERE ALSO SEEN AS "TELEVISION" ACTORS? ARE THE ARTIFICIAL LINES BETWEEN TELEVISION AND FILM ACTOR FINALLY BECOMING BLURRED IN INDIA?

From where I see, OTT as a medium was first to give television shows a shot before they started engaging films. I am really grateful to the digital space for giving the shows I have worked in visibility over a single click at convenience of the audience. To talk about the disparity, yes I do agree that television artists are considered to be loud in the industry but the gap is bridging and it’s indeed a propitious time for everyone in the industry to bring about a change.

TELL US ABOUT A CHARACTER YOU PLAYED WHO YOU THINK YOU COULD BE GOOD FRIENDS WITH?

WHO YOU MAY NEVER GET ALONG WITH?

I’d like be friends with my character Anami from Rishton Ka Chakravyuh because of the unbending will and rebellious nature she possessed. To answer your next question, I share a different opinion from my character Rachna for how docile she was represented as in the show. When an actor portrays a character, they breathe every trait of it. This instills a sense of comprehension between the real and reel version. There are times when you agree or disagree with your character as a person and that’s where the question of being friends or foe with it rises. It’s all about being at peace with the character you enact, I feel.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LEARNING LESSON TILL DATE?

My biggest lesson is that there is no substitute for hard work. Success and failure are peripheral. It’s all about keeping the core intact.

IF YOU COULD GO BACK THROUGH YOUR JOURNEY, WHICH PERFORMANCE OF YOURS HAVE YOU BEEN LEAST CRITICAL OF?

Personally I review each character I play as a critic. Anami has been one of the toughest characters for me but it’s been one I have been least critical of. Now that I recall those days, I remember that it took numerous efforts from me to tune into the skin , tone & stature of it all. Being a layered role, it offered me an opportunity to test different waters. It made me believe that sometimes things are tough - just for you to make attempts at cracking it.

INTERVIEW

34 BollywoodFilmFame.com

INTERVIEW

GETTING TO KNOW

Divinaa Interview by Armin S.

Known as the Veeram

actor when you Google her name, Divinaa Thackur is no stranger to limelight. With projects such as Prasthanam,Who's Your Daddy, and Hickey, she is always pushing her boundaries and trying to experiment with the work she is doing. Whether it's dance or martial arts, you see that she never shies away from an experience. We caught up with her to get to know her a little bit better.

“I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A SEEKER.” DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST DECIDED TO EMBARK ON THIS JOURNEY OF ACTING AND SUBSEQUENTLY, STICK TO IT?

Yes, very much. I was still a kid, a kid around 7 or 8 years of age.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP - DID YOU HAVE ROOM TO EXPLORE YOUR CREATIVE SIDE?

Not really. The circumstances weren't that smooth, but I would always find space for creativity and learning in my mind. I have always been a seeker.

YOU'VE BEEN A PART OF SOME HUGE PROJECTS AND BEEN ALONGSIDE SOME NOTABLE NAMES WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE FROM A PROFESSIONAL STANDPOINT?

They all taught me one major aspect - never lose your respect for others. This is regardless of what levels in life you reach. I also learnt the value of time and punctuality.

WHAT ABOUT FROM A PERSONAL STANDPOINT? From a personal standpoint, I learnt from Jackie sir. I learnt how to selflessly and unconditionally care for people around you and help people by going out of your way.

WHERE DO YOU ASPIRE TO BE IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS? In the film industry - flourishing as a superstar actor!

INTERVIEW

“GOALS END UP BECOMING

SHACKLES”

BHANU U D A Y Interview by Armin S.

hanu Uday Goswami is such a delight to listen to as he puts into perspective the craft of acting through his individual journey. Seen in Ludo, Unfreedom, Stories by Rabindranath Tagore and Manto, he is recently donned the lead role as D.C.P Ranjan Chittoda in Rudrakaal. I chat with him about the first time he faced the camera, sustaining himself in the industry, and learning as an actor.

38 BollywoodFilmFame.com

DO YOU RE YOU FACED SIONALLY A

Yes, I rememb the camera. It w just to come De education. I wa an ad for the Fo ing at that time giving out free World Cup. I f learn more abo I kind of alwa wanted to do w camera, it kind pleasant exper that the first tim very unpleasa being nervous excited about f

PEOPLE SAY PROFESSION CONSTANT AND LACK MOTIVATED PROFESSION IN THE PRO

Becoming an a I just wanted to it logically. I jus things like the once you are in able to deal w Once I came t for things, and would be unste realized that w knew that this i I deal with it. T had to do this realities of the work and my p of personal obs what I wanted solutions to the

LET'S TALK WORK YOU BEEN ATTAC PROJECTS, I LUDO. WHA PROJECT TH MOST ABOU ARTIST?

The most won every job you about yourself for me to talk a me the most. S

EMEMBER THE FIRST TIME D THE CAMERA PROFESAND WHAT IT FELT LIKE?

ber very clearly the first time I faced was for an advertisement and I had elhi from Jammu to start my college as about seventeen years old. It was ootball World Cup that was happene for one of those brands that were e tickets to people to travel to the felt very excited. I wanted to really out camera acting. ays knew that acting was what I with my life. The first time I faced the of sealed that thought. It was a very rience. I’ve heard some people say me they faced the camera, it was a ant experience. I don’t remember s and I was very comfortable and facing the camera.

Y ACTING IS A TOUGH N BECAUSE OF THE T EXPOSURE TO REJECTION OF STEADY WORK. WHAT D YOU TO ENTER THE N AND SUSTAIN YOURSELF OFESSION?

actor was not a thought-out decision. o do it. I wasn’t really thinking about st knew I wanted to do it. The other lack of steady work and rejection – n it, and you love it so much, you are with everything. I faced all of this. to Mumbai, I started being rejected it is painful. I realized that the work eady and that was also unnerving. I was the reality because I already is what I wanted to do so how should The point was that I always knew I s and I just had to deal with the e scenario. It’s just my love for this passion for it. I also faced a number stacles – but I just knew that this is to do. You just have to try to find e problems.

ABOUT SOME OF THE U HAVE DONE - YOU'VE CHED TO SOME BIG INCLUDING MANTO AND AT HAS BEEN THE ONE HAT HAS TAUGHT YOU THE UT YOURSELF AS AN

nderful thing about acting is that u take up teaches you something as an artist. It would be very difficult about one particular job that taught Some jobs will teach you how you

INTERVIEW

want to do this job going forward and some will teach you how not to do your job. Some teach you how to deal with actors, some on how to collaborate with directors, some are hard in terms of the character you are playing, or the circumstances in which you are working. Every job has a very unique set of challenges. The best part is dealing with those specific challenges in each specific job. I don’t think I regret doing any job, the results notwithstanding. When you know this is what you are going to do for the rest of your life, the results become much less important. The results are only important in the sense that they decide the future of your work. Every job brings you more wisdom, and more maturity – this adds to the next job you do. So it’s been a glorious journey.

TALKING ABOUT YOUR LATEST WEB SERIES, RUDRAKAAL, AND YOUR CHARACTER IN IT - THAT OF DCP RANJAN CHITTODA - HOW DID YOU ENSURE YOU DON'T FALL INTO THE STEREOTYPES ASSOCIATED WITH COPS, IN THE WAY THEY ARE PERCEIVED TO WALK, TALK, AND EMOTE?

“When you know this is what you are going to do for the rest of your life, the results become much less important.”

This is a challenge that an actor faces with every character he plays. One general thing I have done in my life is that I just don’t watch much more of other people. I have not seen 99.9 percent of the films made in the last fifteen years. I don’t know how other actors would approach a certain role. That way, I am left to my own devices and my own imagination as to how a character would behave. That has really helped me. Also, every time you get a role, you are also at a certain stage in your life, and that also really informs your role and what you are thinking about life in general. My preparation has changed over the years. It is much less physical now. I am not consciously deciding how he will walk or how he will talk. I am basically trying to understand where he is in his life and where I am in my life. Everything flows from there. I prefer to do my acting only when the camera is rolling and before that I just do a lot of internal work. Once the camera is rolling, hopefully, your preparation leads to something much more organic.

WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE YOURSELF IN A FEW YEARS FROM NOW?

You know, as a younger actor, you have goals and you have these levels you have in your head. As I have gone on, you throw all of that out the window. You realize goals end up being shackles and boundaries in the sense. Now, I don’t really think about the future in that sense. I just focus on being absolutely present in the work that I am doing right now. I have noticed that the more you do that, the future takes care of itself in the most glorious and exciting ways possible. I am now just enjoying my life as an actor, as a man, as a father.

CANADIAN SPECTRUM

UKSIMI SIVANESWARALINGAM IS JUST ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. A CANADIAN WHO HAS MADE HER MARK SINGING SONGS SUCH AS “SENTHOORA” AND “FAR AWAY”, LUKSIMI HAS BEEN GARNERING MUCH ATTENTION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS WELL, BECAUSE OF HER TALENT. SHE TALKS TO US ABOUT GETTING STARTED AT AN EARLY AGE, PURSUING MUSIC THROUGH HER EDUCATION, AND WHAT SHE HOPES TO DO NEXT.

TRACKING HER SINGING JOURNEY

LUKSIMI

SI VAN ESWA RALING AM Interview By Armin S. 40 BollywoodFilmFame.com

CANADIAN SPECTRUM

WHEN DID YOU FIRST START SINGING?

I've been surrounded by music and the arts in general from a very young age. Although my parents aren’t formally trained in music, they’re true music fans. They always share memories of me as a child dancing or singing in my own language around the house! My mom enrolled me in lessons and competitions when I was too young to have a clue what was going, but it paid off because I grew to love it all and music became a huge part of my life. As a child, I learned Carnatic vocals, veena, piano, ballet, Bharatanatyam and later studied Western Classical vocals when I got older. I knew that music had to be more than a hobby, so I pursued post-secondary studies in music at University of Toronto’s undergraduate music program in Voice Performance (Western Classical). After graduating, I got my teaching degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and now teach music and core academic subjects in the public school system. I’ve been performing and competing since I was a child, and while in university, I started posting covers on social media. I’ve won local and international singing competitions, which kept me motivated to do more. I owe it to my social media posts for getting the opportunity to sing for several Indian film songs. I’m grateful to have had my videos discovered by music director D. Imman which led to my debut Tamil film song.

“Senthoora” from the movie Bogan. This song opened up other playback and singing opportunities for me and brought home several local and international awards. It’s also such a humbling experience to have been nominated for prestigious awards like Radio Mirchi and Filmfare Awards alongside some of my most favourite artists! Apart from songs for films, in July 2020, I released my first independent song in English called “Far Away”. This song is very close to my heart because it is a song that sends an important message about mental health.

WHO ARE YOUR MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS?

Growing up in Toronto, I’ve been exposed to so many languages and genres of music and have been inspired by so many singers and musicians from various genres of music, all around the world. Some of my favourites range from AR Rahman to KS Chithra, to Shreya Ghoshal, BTS, Beyoncé and Shawn Mendes just to name a few. I especially have great respect for the many artists who were born and raised in Canada, but have moved to India to follow and pursue music as a career. There’s so much to learn from each artist, because everyone has something unique about them. Their individual sounds, personalities and journeys are all truly inspiring and admirable. Being inspired by a wide range of artists gives me the opportunity to experiment with a wide range of sounds and genres.

BEING BASED OUT OF CANADA, WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU FACE AS A SOUTH ASIAN SINGER?

It seems to be a common concern from most South Asian artists in the West, that it’s really hard to break into Western mainstream audiences as an artist of colour in North America. Although we may be strong Western vocalists, whether it’s pop or classical, it’s somehow much harder to build an audience for English music than it is for us to build audiences through Indian music.

WITH THE ADVENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW HAVE YOU ADAPTED AND CHANGED HOW YOU 'MARKET' YOURSELF, SO TO SPEAK, AS A SINGER?

Social media is a bit of a tricky space for singers, especially those of us who consider ourselves versatile. On one hand it’s an excellent tool for us to stay on our toes and stay relevant with our audiences, giving us the chance to keep putting out music regularly, whether it’s covers or originals. But at the same time it can be really tricky to cater music to what the audience wants to consume rather than music we particularly want to share. For example, I may want to market myself with more diversity in genres of the songs I sing to showcase what I’m good at, but the platforms themselves don’t favour that strategy because the content isn’t relevant to the audience that’s already following me. It’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation when it comes to marketing myself the way I want to.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT NEXT FROM YOU?

I’ve recently started dabbling in independent music and since the release of my first single ‘Far Away’, I’m looking forward to putting out more original music. At the same time, I love the experimentation process involved in creating covers of some of my favourite songs, so that’s something I’ll be doing a lot more of and sharing across my social media accounts as well!

INTERVIEW

A QUICK Q&A WITH

VERONICA VANIJ V

Interview by Armin S.

eronica Vanij made her presence felt with the Ullu short film Smartphone. She was recently seen in the song “Khuda Na Kare”. Now, she is all set to await the release of her upcoming short film Tijori, and is also looking forward to exploring the digital space more. 42 BollywoodFilmFame.com

INTERVIEW

“I REALIZED THAT SURVIVING IN THIS INDUSTRY IS NOT EASY AT ALL!”

YOU DON'T COME FROM A FILM FAMILY BUT YOU WERE ALWAYS ACTIVE IN THE PERFORMING ARTS AS A CHILD. WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE ARTS THAT CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION?

The kind of attention and appreciation I used get by participating in plays in school, I started loving that response. Later I realised you get name and fame both in this field, so I decided to choose this as my profession.

WHEN YOU MOVED TO MUMBAI IN 2014, WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE?

My dad was in the Air Force. I grew up living in Defence Colony and we used to move to a new place every three years. That was a completely different zone. When I moved to Mumbai, the city of dreams, I realised how tough this profession is. I also realized that surviving in this industry is not easy at all!

WHEN YOU THINK BACK TO THAT TIME AND NOW, WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE YOUR BIGGEST LEARNING LESSON?

Since that time, I’ve gotten to know Mumbai better than before. I was nervous then. Now, I’ve learnt to be confident.

WITH ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING, MUSIC VIDEOS, SHORT FILMS, WEB SERIES, WHICH CHARACTER OR PROJECT DO YOU FEEL CLOSEST TO?

I connect to every project I do! I try to put my one hundred percent into every project but I am really looking forward to my short film bandh Tijori.

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO IN LIFE?

My motto in life is keep working and keep getting better.