Scottish Ferena Wazeir comes across as a multi-talented individual who will not be satisfied confining herself to one field. Theatre, having trained under stalwarts Alyque Padamsee and Satyadev Dubey, as well as Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London; voiceovers; a short film- Kismet which was nominated for a Royal Television Society award; and commercials. Ferena has tried them all!

When she was in India for the camel fair in Pushkar, photographer Farock Chotia spotted her and soon, she was shooting for Elle India, Seventeen and L’Officiel. Commercial films are her latest gig, she says in a chat:

Which Bollywood projects do you have coming up?
I have been offered a three-movie deal with a major corporate house, but now is not the time to talk about it, as things are still falling in place.

What is your opinion on the South Indian film industry?
I was attached to a South project, but had to leave it for an international project that I got. I will do a film with Bhartiraja sir at some point. I would love to do a film with a really good South filmmaker.

I like the way people in the South work. The technicians are great. Everyone is very methodical. I think the South has great stories. In fact, many Hindi movies are stories taken from here.

Your experience performing in The Vagina Monologues.
Absolutely fantastic. Again, I got the offer while I was still studying. I was the youngest actress there, but got some really powerful monologues to perform.

The Vagina Monologues is traditionally supposed to be performed around Valentine’s Day which Eve Ensler (the author of Vagina Monologues) renamed ‘V Day’ (anti-violence against women) when she went around the world and heard all the stories from women everywhere.

We hear that you are a skilled artiste in classical Indian dance and singing.
I have been learning Kathak and singing for some time now and I enjoy both very much. I also learn Western dance, but of course Indian culture is a part of me, so I get a lot more satisfaction and peace from Indian arts.

Where do you think India is lacking in comparison to places in the West, in the area of theatre and films?
I think, theatre in India is not given the kind of recognition and respect that it deserves and is given in the West. There is certainly not enough money in it which makes the lure of films all the more enticing for actors. I would love to do more theatre, but who can live on 500 rupees per performance!

Nevermind all the months of unpaid rehearsing that goes in before hand. In the West, theatre actors get paid very well hence the kind of productions they are able to put up and the time into their craft is on a much higher level.

Films are so different here that its difficult to compare. People are very struck by the star system here, sometimes at the expense of good casting for their projects and hence the final product. Scripts generally don’t have as  much time spent on them as in the West. But the audience is also much more forgiving here, so I guess it’s okay, although that is changing fast.

Where do you see yourself ten years from now?
A beach on a nice island? Seriously, I don’t know. Ten years is a long way off... a good cosmetics contract in hand... some great endorsements. Doing more theatre. At a nice-enough stage in my career that I can use my position to help others in society.

What were the things that you learnt in the process of making the documentary on the Maasai tribe in Africa?
Working behind the camera is a great learning experience and definitely helps you when you are in front of it. It also makes you appreciate all the work that goes into what we finally see on our screens.

Your closest friends in India. What are the challenges of being so far away from home? Do you miss London?
I have a few friends here, but it’s hard to really hang out with friends because I keep myself quite busy. It is challenging being away from home but India is like home from home. It is very noisy in Bombay, and quite polluted. Sometimes it is difficult dealing with people as the mentality is different. I miss London, but when I am there, I start to miss Bombay! There is a vibrancy here which once you have experienced is difficult to match anywhere.